BLUE ALERT FOR ALL AREAS FOR THE WEEK PRECEDING 24 NOVEMBER 2011

Westmead, Westmead Road.  Armed Robbery – Business  (16 November 2011, 8:49:24)    
Two suspects armed with firearms and a knife entered the premises and held up the business owner and staff.  Cash and cell phones were stolen.  

With Christmas trading starting in earnest we advise all businesses to take another look at their security systems and the security measures that you have in place. Do not allow a cash register to fill with cash. Clear excess cash frequently and randomly from cash registers to a safe or bank. Also, many small business people have been robbed after driving home at night with the day's takings in a car - this is asking for trouble. Make sure you have portable (which staff can wear around their necks) and fixed panic alarms, that can be used to summons assistance after a robbery.  And, finally install CCTV cameras if you haven’t done so already. Security cameras are effective crime deterrents. There are plenty of places for crooks to rob that don’t have security cameras, so they’re probably less likely to bother places that use them.

Umbilo, Bartle Road. Hijacking – Residential (17 November 2011, 20:21:45)    
Two suspects armed with firearms confronted the resident in his driveway. The suspects forced the resident out of his white VW Polo, registration number ND 657330 and drove off in the vehicle. Cash and shop keys were stolen with the vehicle.  

Driveway hijackings are not random acts but carefully planned attacks. With vigilance and a sprinkling of common sense you can limit your chances of being hijacked.  Crime experts warn   that residential hijackings tend to increase between 4pm and 8pm when motorists are heading towards home. It makes sense when you think about it – we’re tired, frustrated from sitting in traffic and distracted by thoughts of supper.  We’re wrapped up in our own thoughts and we’ve shut the world out – and just as you pull into your driveway and press the remote to open the gate – a hijacker approaches pointing a firearm at you.

Whenever your vehicle is stationery you are at risk of being hijacked.  The first step to avoid a hijacking is to stay alert and be aware of your environment.  Look out for people loitering on your street and unfamiliar vehicles parked on the pavement.  Open your driveway gate while you are in the street – this way you won’t be boxed in by a car pulling up behind you.  And, if you’re in any doubt about your safety keep driving, preferably to the nearest police station.
Kloof, Ronalds Road.    

Theft of a Motor Vehicle – Residential  (19 November 2011, 9:06:19)    
Suspects derailed the driveway gate and stole a VW Citi Golf, registration number NU 33735 parked in the yard.  

Pinetown, James Herbert Road. Theft of a Motor Vehicle – Residential (21 November 2011, 3:13:58)    
Suspects forced open the driveway gate and stole a white Ford Meteor, registration number NPN 32948 and a trailer, registration number NPN 60050.     

One of the most effective methods of preventing your vehicle from being stolen is remembering to lock it every time you leave it. And don't become complacent just because you drive an older vehicle. Parts from older vehicles are in great demand. If your vehicle has an alarm or anti-theft device - use it.

Assagay, Kassier Road.  Gatecrashing – Business  (17 November 2011, 19:22:23)    
Suspects derailed the driveway gate. The suspects climbed onto the roof and entered the premises through a gap in roof sheeting. Two cash registers and a horse blanket were stolen.  

Reduce the chances of intruders getting into your premises through the roof by installing microwave passives.

Morningside, Florida Road. Gatecrashing – Business (18 November 2011, 4:28:49)
Suspects derailed the driveway gate and forced open two office windows. A computer was stolen.

Mmm, Windows – Office – Computer – Crash, not like that doesn’t happen every day!

Hillcrest, Lucas Drive.  Gatecrashing– Business (19 November 2011, 18:35:02)    
Suspects forced open the driveway gate. The suspects cut the padlock on the security gate and forced open the front door. An overhead projector, and a DVD player were stolen.

NB! NB! NB! For peace of mind we advise that you install strip beams  across the driveway gate or an industrial magnetic contact linked to the alarm that will trigger the siren and alert armed response if criminals try to force open your gate.  

Kloof, Fairview Road.  Housebreaking - Residential (16 November 2011, 6:05:24)  
Suspects cut a hole in the perimeter fence and entered the yard. The suspects broke a glass door at the back of the house and stole a flat screen TV and a remote.  
If you live in a remote area or your home is isolated, good perimeter security and early detection, such as strip beams, magnetic locks on gates, and electric fencing are essential. These will act to deter and limit the intruders’ opportunity to get onto your property and act as an early warning system for you, giving you time before the intruders get up to your home to press the panic alarm and summons help.

Ashley, Plymouth Road.  Housebreaking - Residential  (16 November 2011, 9:22:45)         
The security gate and front door were forced open. A TV was stolen.  

Bellair, Moorleigh Road. Housebreaking - Residential (17 November 2011, 10:22:58)        
Suspects forced open the front door. A TV was stolen.

La Lucia, Devellan Avenue. Housebreaking - Residential  (18 November 2011, 2:54:05)
Suspects cut the padlock on a pedestrian gate and entered the premises. A padlock on a wooden store room was cut and a CD player and a leaf blowing machine were stolen.  

Waterfall, Albert Road.  Housebreaking - Residential (18 November 2011, 13:50:13)
Suspects cut a hole in the window and forced in the burglar guard. A digital camera, a jacket and a watch were stolen.    

Kloof, Alamein Road.  Housebreaking - Residential  (18 November 2011, 21:35:07)
Suspects entered the premises through an unlocked dining room door. A laptop, three cameras, an iPod, DVD, jewellery and two bags were stolen.  

An unlocked door! In this day and age with crime becoming more violent we can only IMPLORE you to lock your doors.

Manor Gardens, Archer Crescent. Housebreaking – Residential (19 November 2011, 13:03:27)
Suspects opened a toilet window and bent in the burglar guard. A laptop, jackets and clothes were stolen.  The laptop was recovered.    

The toilet window, a favourite access point for intruders, now that you know that, what are you going to do about it?

Hillcrest, Springfield Road.  Housebreaking – Residential (20 November 2011, 4:06:42)        
Suspects cut the locks on a pedestrian gate and entered the premises. The suspects cut the lock on a security gate and forced open a door. A plasma screen TV, a digital camera, DVDs, a handbag and a food processor were stolen.     

Morningside, Ridge Road. Housebreaking – Residential (20 November 2011, 19:22:17)        
Suspects climbed up onto a second floor balcony and broke through a door. The bedrooms were ransacked and a safe containing cash and jewellery as well as a PlayStation were stolen.     

Botha’s Hill, Wooton Avenue. Housebreaking – Residential (20 November 2011, 19:38:34)    
Suspects forced open the door to a store room and stole two grass cutters. The suspects then forced open the door to a cottage on the premises and stole two computers, CDs and clothes.  

Manor Gardens, Queen Elizabeth Avenue. Housebreaking - Residential  (22 November 2011, 3:21:06)
Suspects broke the glass on a back door and entered the premises. A flat screen TV and a DVD player were stolen.       

Botha’s Hill, Mkhize Road. Housebreaking - Residential  (22 November 2011, 11:24:20 )    
Suspects forced open the front door and entered the premises. A plasma screen TV and a hi-fi were stolen.  

Gillitts, Old Main Road.  Housebreaking – Business (18 November 2011, 4:45:38)    
Suspects forced open the front door and entered the premises. A computer was stolen.  

Botha's Hill, Old Main Road.  Housebreaking – Business (18 November 2011, 20:03:07)    
Suspects cut a lock on the gate and entered the yard. The suspects forced open the security gate and front door with a crow bar and ransacked the premises. Computers were stolen.  

Stop them before they get up to your premises with early detection = strip beams, magnetic locks on gates and properly installed electric fencing linked to your alarm system.

Westmead. Trafford Road. Housebreaking – Business (21 November 2011, 6:27:26)          
Suspects climbed up a gutter pipe and broke a window. The suspects broke through the ceiling and entered the premises. Seventeen 20 litre drums of oil were stolen.

Gutter pipes =  handy climbing  for criminals. Did you know that with the high incidence of housebreakings into flats, the Berea SAPS where encouraging to grease down their gutters in an effort to foil these cat burglars!

Pinetown, View Road.  Theft – Residential (16 November 2011, 5:24:33)
Suspects stole a battery out of a car parked in the yard.  

Punten's Hill, Fyfe Road.  Theft – Residential (16 November 2011, 17:19:48)
Suspects stole copper water pipes and a tap from the yard.      

Metal thieves strike again.

Glenwood, Clark Road. Theft - Residential  (16 November 2011, 20:20:28)  
Suspects jumped over the fence and stole scrap metal from the back of the premises.

To reduce the scourge of metal theft plaguing the city, report suspicious activity to the Telkom Hotline at 0800 124 000, the Eskom hotline at 080 011 2722 and the eThekwini Traffic Hotline at 080 131 3013.

Kloof, Old Main Road.  Theft - Residential  (17 November 2011, 4:54:55)
Suspects broke the palisade fence and entered the property. Copper pipes were stolen from the yard and the suspects tampered with an air conditioning unit.    

Durban North, Collard Road.  Theft – Residential  (19 November 2011, 8:27:31)
A suspect entered the premises and stole a bag of charcoal.   

Every day is Braaiday. Take a look at this zany video on SA's national past time  http://www.cardboardmusic.net/thesundayblues/


Glenwood, Clark Road.  Theft - Residential  (22 November 2011,  22:27:02)
Copper water pipes were stolen from the premises.       

Westriding, Leslie Road. Theft – Residential  (23 November 2011, 0:38:53)    
Washing was stolen from the line.      

Er, pretty please, take the washing in at night!  

Gillitts, Hazel Road. Theft – Residential  (23 November 2011, 3:44:29)          
The resident went into the garden to feed the birds and left the front door open. Two suspects entered the house and fled with a laptop and a flat screen TV.      

Our point is made that criminals watch your habits. Habits like regularly feeding the LBJ’s  letting Rufus out first thing in the morning or last thing at night don’t go unnoticed.  By all means let Rufus out or feed birds but ensure that security gates are locked while Rufus does his business.  Use the partition function of your alarm and  arm your alarm in the areas of the house you are not occupying.  Keep panic buttons handy or wear one around your neck.  You can press the panic alarm should intruders surprise you – just make sure the battery of the panic alarm is charged at all times.

Westmead, Monte Carlo Road.  Theft – Business (17 November 2011, 1:46:21)    
Two suspects cut a hole in the wire mesh fence and entered the property. The suspects  pipe  siphoned diesel from a truck with a hose pipe.

Pinetown, Impola Road. Theft – Business (18 November 2011, 5:22:57)    
Cosmetics left near to an open window were stolen from the premises.

Glenwood, Bulwer Road.  Theft – Business (19 November 2011, 10:29:48)
Suspects stole copper water pipes from the premises.   

Assagay, Kassier Road .Theft   - Business (20 November 2011, 1:07:41)    
The driver of a blue VW Golf put in R540 of petrol and fled without paying.  

Amanzimtoti, Kings Road. Theft – Business (21 November 2011, 7:22:55)          
Suspects broke a window and used a pool pole to fish a computer hard drive and stationery through the window.  

Hillcrest, St Margarets Road. Theft - Business  (22 November 2011, 23:56:32)
Suspects broke a window at the back of the premises and stole a pair of jeans.  

Chatsworth, Moorcross Drive. Theft out of a Motor Vehicle – Business (18 November 2011, 4:14:11)
Suspects broke the back window of a Toyota Tazz parked in the yard and stole two speakers and a tool box from a bakkie parked in the yard.

Hillcrest, Hilltop Road. Theft out of a Motor Vehicle - Residential (19 November 2011, 5:08:24)    
Suspects forced open the front gate and entered the premises. A window of an Opel Corsa bakkie parked in the yard  was broken and speakers were stolen.  

Effingham Heights, Paruks Drive. Theft out of a Motor Vehicle – Residential (21 November 2011, 4:11:53)             
Suspects broke into a vehicle and stole a bag containing documents.

Musgrave, Kilburn Avenue. Theft out of a Motor Vehicle – Residential  (21 November 2011, 15:28:56)     
Suspects broke into a vehicle parked on the road. A bag containing costumes and a towel was stolen.   

Durban North, Chelsea Drive. Theft out of a Motor Vehicle – Residential  (23 November 2011, 1:53:16)
Suspects stole a CD player and cash from a vehicle on the premises.  

Glenwood, Bulwer Road. Trespassing – Residential  (21 November 2011, 1:33:19)    
Suspects attempting to steal a ladder from the yard were disturbed and fled.     

Glenashley, Lynn Avenue. Trespassing – Residential  (21 November 2011,  10:22:11)
Suspects attempting to steal a bicycle fled when they saw the domestic worker.   

Bluff, Pearce Road.  Vandalism – Residential  (17 November 2011, 9:03:30)    
Suspects broke a window of a vehicle parked in the yard. Nothing was stolen.   

SUCCESSES
Glenmore, Bowen Avenue. Theft  - Residential (16 November 2011, 12:33:52)
Suspects broke into an electrical sub-station and stole copper cabling. Members of the community and the armed reaction officer gave chase and the suspects were apprehended on Francios Road and arrested by the SAPS. An axe and rubber gloves were found in the suspects' possession.

Berea, Ridge Road. Hijacking  - Residential (17 November 2011, 17:32:36)    
Three suspects armed with firearms confronted the resident in her driveway. The suspect forced her out of her silver grey Polo registration number ND 653156 and drove off in the vehicle. The vehicle was recovered but house keys were stolen.  

Overport, Sparks Road. Theft - Business  (22 November 2011, 6:46:30)
A shoplifter was apprehended and arrested by the SAPS for stealing four chocolates and a packet of chips.  

Attempted housebreaking where nothing appears to have been stolen:

Amanzimtoti, Kingsway (19 November 2011, 3:56:10)    
Berea, Cato Road (20 November 2011, 4:43:21)    
Briardene, North Coast Road (22 November 2011, 17:17:19)
Bluff, Badenhorst Road (18 November 2011, 15:52:29)
Carrington Heights, Pitcain Road (17 November 2011, 13:01:28)
Crestholme, Valley Road (17 November 2011, 13:31:11)    
Durban, Point Road (20 November 2011, 9:53:08)    
Durban North, Kent Gardens (18 November 2011, 0:46:19)
Durban North, Northway (2 November 2011, 7:47:50)
Glenanil, Donald Ensor Road (20 November 2011, 4:37:08)
Glenanil,  Sagewood Way (19 November 2011, 19:28:54)    
Glenwood, Clark Road (21 November 2011, 3:58:15)
Glenwood, Newhaven Road (21 November 2011, 3:42:54)      
Hillcrest, Emoyeni Road (23 November 2011, 2:07:47)
Hillary,    Parkside Avenue (22 November 2011, 2:52:10)
Hillcrest, Hilltop Road (19 November 2011, 2:56:18)
Hillcrest, Springside Road (17 November 2011, 2:07:06)    
Isipingo, Old Main Road (18 November 2011, 3:23:54)    
Isipingo Hills, Willow Creek (16 November 2011, 8:48:22)
Kloof, Isakbula Road (19 November 2011, 2:36:35)    
New Germany, Shepstone Road (16 November 2011, 23:42:32)    
Manors, Tritoma Road (16 November 2011, 13:26:29)    
Morningside, Adrain Road (18 November 2011, 5:06:00)
Morningside, Florida Road (18 November 2011, 4:51:20)    
Morningside, Stamfordhill Road (18 November 2011, 14:55:00)    
New Germany, Goshawk Road (23 November 2011,    0:11:28)    
Northdene, Heath Street   (21 November 2011, 4:13:12)
Overport, Kenilworth Road (23 November 2011, 4:23:47)
Overport, Overport Drive (19 November 2011, 5:30:04)    
Sarnia, Pickford Road (21 November 2011, 11:42:06)
Westville, Cliff Road (20 November 2011, 11:17:28)    
Westville, Homestead Avenue (18 November 2011,3:18:19)
Westville, Killan Road (16 November 2011, 9:44:51)
Yellowwood Park, Falcon Drive (18 November 2011, 9:25:12)