BLUE ALERT FOR ALL AREAS FOR THE WEEK PRECEDING 19 APRIL 2011 

We kick off again this week with the unfortunate news that two firearms were stolen in a residential burglary. And we repeat, again: GUNS IN THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS TAKE LIVES. The reality is that if you’re a gun owner, you are at significant risk of having your firearm stolen. Guns, especially hand guns, are prize items for criminals as they can be quickly sold on the street or used by criminals to commit armed robberies or worse.

You’ll note a number of armed robberies took place this week – and you can bet your bottom dollar that the guns used in these crimes were not bought legally. Luckily, there were no fatalities in these incidents but we can all be sure that the victims of these crimes were severely traumatised by their ordeals. 

Given time, knowledge and the right tools, there’s isn’t a safe in the world that can’t be broken into. And, there’s also a lot to know about choosing the best gun safe.  As general rules, though, the best safe construction is one with no welds whatsoever, and the safest way of securing a safe is to bolt it to a concrete floor and secure the bolts with an industrial epoxy.  

Let’s take a closer look at what’s been happening this week.

Holmes Road, Umbilo. Housebreaking - Theft of Firearms (15 April 2011, 10:49:18)
Suspects forced open a window at the back of the house and pushed in the burglar guard. A safe containing two firearms and R1 000 in cash were stolen.

Hillcrest, Homestead Avenue. Armed Robbery - Residential (12 April 2011, 20:31:21)
Three black males armed with knives, pangas and batons entered the house through a patio door. The suspects tied up the family in the main bedroom. Two laptops, two cameras, two cell phones, two wallets, a remote, house keys and jewellery were stolen.

Hillcrest, McMillan Road. Armed Robbery / Assault  - Residential (15 April 2011, 21:32:18)
Three black males armed with knives and a firearm entered the house through an unlocked kitchen door and held up the residents. Three laptops, three 42" LCD TVs and a set of keys were stolen.

Oliver Lea Park, Umbilo. Armed Robbery – Residential (15 April 2011, 10:25:03)
Complainant’s son arrived at Oliver Lea Park where he had arranged to meet his girlfriend. On arrival he found his girlfriend in the company of a coloured male wearing red shorts and sandals, and a black male dressed in black long pants and a grey short sleeve golf shirt.  As he approached his girlfriend, the suspects produced a firearm and demanded his cell phone. A shot was fired at the client's son as he was running away from the suspects.

It’s just a no-no for a young woman (or any woman) to hang around a park on her own. Hopefully, this encounter with these thugs has frightened these youngsters enough to find safer places in which to meet.  

Durban Central, Alice Street. Armed Robbery - Business (13 April 2011, 16:40:00)
Two suspects armed with a firearm robbed the client of R6 000 in cash.

Springfield, Peters Road. Armed Robbery - Business (15 April 2011, 10:05:02)
The client's report that two suspects posing as customers entered the premises through the front door. The suspects were armed with 9mm pistols.  The client's wife and a customer were assaulted.  A purse and two cell phones were stolen.

New Germany, Datchet Place. Hijacking - Residential (15 April 2011, 7:30:11)
Four black males approached the resident while she was parked outside her premises and demanded that she get out the vehicle. The suspects fled in the client's dark blue VW GTI.

Bluff, Benjamin Road. Gatecrashing- Residential (14 April 2011, 10:38:47)
Suspects derailed the front driveway gate, broke the lock on the security gate and entered the house through an unlocked front door. A flat screen TV and jewellery were stolen.

Puntan’s Hill, Indus Lane. Gatecrashing - Residential (15 April 2011, 7:36:05)
Suspects derailed the driveway gate and the client reports that keys which had been stolen from his Golf GTI were used by the suspects to steal his white Chevrolet, registration ND 363643, which was parked in the yard of the premises.

Botha's Hill, Mackenzie Lane U11. Housebreaking - Residential (12 April 2011, 20:55:50)
Suspects broke the lounge window and a cell phone and laptop were stolen.

Glenwood, Charles Henwood Drive. Housebreaking - Residential (13 April 2011, 8:54:46)
A toilet window was forced open and the burglar bars pushed in. An unknown quantity of jewellery was stolen.

Morningside, Fyee Road. Housebreaking - Residential (14 April 2011, 6:20:46)
The client reports that the suspects entered the premises through an open door. Two cell phones and a pair of sandals were stolen.

Be very careful not to leave doors open and unsecured as there have been a number of surprise attacks in recent weeks, especially in the early mornings and evenings, where criminals have simply walked into homes through an open door and held up residents at gun point or with other dangerous weapons. We are creatures of habit and if you have pets you may open doors in the mornings or last thing at night to let your animals out. Criminals take note of your habits and when you’re least expecting it, pounce.

Westville, Beverley Road. Housebreaking - Residential (14 April 2011, 12:46:20)
Suspects broke a window and entered the premises. A computer was stolen.

Durban North, Radar Drive. Housebreaking - Residential (14 April 2011, 17:23:31)
Suspects entered the premises through the roof and broke the ceiling above the toilet. A laptop and alcohol were stolen.

Gillitts, Longwood Road. Housebreaking - Residential (14 April 2011, 19:41:08)
Suspects threw a brick through the lounge window while the client and her son were watching TV and entered the house. The suspects tied up the residents and ransacked the house. A laptop, two cell phones, jewellery, a wallet and a set of car keys were stolen.

Pinetown, Fourth Avenue.  Housebreaking - Residential (14 April 2011, 15:55:54)
Suspect entered the house and confronted the domestic worker. A wallet containing R220 in cash was stolen.

Morningside, Annerley Road. Housebreaking - Residential (15 April 2011, 17:27:58)
Suspects forced open a lounge window and pushed in the burglar guards. A camera was stolen.

Assagay, Bowles Road. Housebreaking - Residential (17 April 2011, 23:07:51)
Suspects forced open a window and entered the house while the client was asleep. A laptop, cell phone and cash were stolen. The client reports that the alarm was not armed.

Your alarm only works if it's on – just putting that out there :)

Lotus Park, Lotus Drive. Housebreaking - Business (13 April 2011, 2:28:26)
Suspects broke the glass door and entered the premises. Bottles of brandy were stolen.

Overport, Overport Drive. Housebreaking - Business (13 April 2011, 4:26:33)
A window was forced open and a laptop stolen.

Pinetown, Surprise Road. Housebreaking - Business (13 April 2011, 12:19:00)
A window was left open and the suspects pushed in the burglar guard. A computer was stolen.

Pinetown, Quail Place. Housebreaking - Business (13 April 2011, 15:10:32)
Suspects entered the premises through the roof. A computer monitor was stolen.

Umbilo, Umbilo Road. Housebreaking - Business (13 April 2011, 6:23:07)
A window was broken and a computer stolen.

Westmead, Hesketh Road. Housebreaking - Business (14 April 2011, 4:35:52)
The security gate and front door were forced open. A computer was stolen.

Umhlanga / La Lucia, Zenith Drive. Housebreaking - Business (15 April 2011, 3:53:00)
Suspects forced open the front door. A till containing cash and a computer hard drive were stolen.

Glenwood, Bulwer Road. Housebreaking - Business (15 April 2011, 4:18:54)
Four suspects armed with knives held up a security guard and forced open the front door to the premises. A monitor, a projector, R500 in cash and a cell phone were stolen.

Morningside, Wallace Road. Theft of a Motor Vehicle  - Residential (14 April 2011, 18:31:21)
A black Citi Golf, registration ND 594048, was stolen from the verge outside the complex.

Malvern, River Plate Road. Theft - Residential (14 April 2011, 5:44:34)
Suspects broke a bedroom window and fished out a bag containing cash, an ID book and credits cards. 

Westriding, Leslie Road.  Theft - Residential (18 April 2011, 20:25:18)
Suspects jumped over the wall and three pairs of takkies were stolen from the yard.

Pinetown, Richmond Road. Theft - Business (13 April 2011, 19:05:59)
The driver of a white Toyota Siyaya Taxi, registration NPN 19681, refuelled and drove off without paying.

Morningside, Florida Road. Theft - Business (14 April 2011, 9:02:54)
Metal pipes were stolen from the outside of the premises.

Jacobs, Balfour Road. Theft - Business (18 April 2011, 7:40:14)
A sink and a gate were stolen from the yard.

Westmead, Circuit Road. Theft out of a Motor Vehicle - Business (16 April 2011, 21:06:07)
Suspects stole a battery from a vehicle parked in the yard.

Westmead, Circuit Road. Theft out of a Motor Vehicle - Business (18 April 2011, 7:03:52)
Suspects broke the front passenger vehicle of a white Tata bakkie parked in the front of the premises and stole a radio and MP3 player.

SUCCESSES
Summerveld, D725 Summerveld. Housebreaking - Residential (12 April 2011, 20:31:27)
Suspects forced open the back door. A bicycle, motor bike helmets and a PlayStation were stolen. All items were recovered in nearby bushes.

Westmead, Goodwood Road. Armed Robbery - Business (17 April 2011, 22:41:08)
Three black males armed with firearms entered the premises through a faulty door at the back of the premises. The suspects switched off the lights and tied up the client.  Five computers were stolen. One suspect was apprehended and the computers were recovered. The client was alone on the premises at the time of the incident.

Burglars try doors before they resort to breaking windows. Often, they hit the jackpot and walk straight into premises through an unlocked door.

Amanzimtoti, Lewis Terrace. Attempted Hijacking - Residential (18 April 2011, 18:44:00)
Four black males armed with firearms held up the family at gunpoint and attempted to steal a vehicle. The suspects could not operate the gears which were on the dashboard and fled.

Side shift : 1 – Incompetent hijackers: 0
Don’t you just love it when criminals get foiled by their own stupidity.

Housebreaking where nothing was confirmed stolen:
Briardene, Marseilles Park (15 April 2011, 4:51:29)
Glenashley, Adrienne Avenue (18 April 2011, 14:50:19)
Glenmore, Bowen Avenue (18 April 2011, 12:43:41)
Glenwood, Bulwer Road (14 April 2011, 5:16:55)
Glenwood, Campbell Road (15 April 2011, 5:44:38)
Glenmore, Helen Baxter Road (18 April 2011, 13:28:11)
Greyville, 5th Avenue (16 April 2011, 16:41:52)
Greyville, May Street (18 April 2011, 23:34:14)
Malvern, Hollings Road (14 April 2011, 16:10:48)
Morningside, Fyfe Road (15 April 2011, 18:26:49)
Morningside, Windermere Road (18 April 2011, 21:07:47)
Pinetown, Marple Road (15 April 2011, 4:21:06)
Pinetown, Tracy Watts Road (18 April 2011, 6:07:48)
Stamfordhill, Arbuckle Road (18 April 2011, 7:32:43)
Westmead, Gillitts Road Unit 3 (18 April 2011, 5:15:05)

That’s it from us for now. Stay alert and stay safe.