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DistrictMAIL HEARTBEAT OF THE HELDERBERG
CRICKET PLAGUE:
Swarms of crickets plagued areas all over the Helderberg this past week and even made an appearance on the Strand beach wall. Read the full story on page 4. PHOTO: DALEEN FOUCHE
CRIME STATS INCLUDE: 90 CAR BREAKINS IN ONE DAY
Crime wave hits Helderberg CASSY VAN EEDEN The Helderberg has been hit by a crime wave of alarming proportions this year. The latest list of incidents include 90 car break-ins in the Strand area alone as reported to a DistrictMail journalist by a member of Strand Police. The Strand Police member revealed the information to the journalist, whose car was broken into last week, that he had processed approximately 90 car break-in cases on Friday 4 April. The series of car break-ins occurred mostly in Strand North area during the early hours of Friday morning. Many of the
break-ins reported to the DistrictMail appear to share a similar modus operandi. The criminals conducted the break-ins on a very windy night in Strand and as a result were less likely to be heard. They did not smash car windows, but either picked car door locks or cut windscreens out of their rubber mountings to get into the cars. The majority of the cars that were broken into were older models including Citi Golfs, Toyota Tazz’s, older Opel Corsa bakkies and Opel Lite hatchbacks. Toyei Railoun, owner of Easy-Cars in Strand, said thieves broke into these older cars because they are much easier to break into. “Newer cars have a lot
more electronics and anti-theft mechanisms built into them to prevent people from breaking into cars,” explained Railoun. There was also extensive damage to the exteriors of a number of the cars broken into. Items stolen out of the cars broken into in Fagan Street, Strand, included: batteries, a passenger seat, alternator, radios, petrol, spare tyres, starter cables and radio/cd players. “I didn’t hear a thing,” a resident who wishes to remain anonymous, said. “They definitely knew what they were doing though, they must have been in and out in minutes.” Another Strand resident had a bakkie broken into and tools stolen. “They were very professional, they
took the glass out of the rubber so they wouldn’t make a noise breaking it,” said Dawn van der Merwe. A further two cars were stolen in Church Street in Strand recently according to a letter to the editor on page 8 by Reinhard Isaacs. It is unclear whether or not the break-ins that occurred in the early hours of Friday morning extended into Somerset West, but another resident had their car broken into in Martin Prince Street. A projector, car radio and bags were stolen. Constable Mbulelo Mafuna, spokesperson for the Strand Police said according to him there is in fact a decrease in car break-ins in the first week of April this year compared to April 2013, he warns car
owners to never leave belongings in cars and to, wherever possible, park behind gates or in a garage. The DistrictMail has reported six serious armed robberies this year, all of which were conducted by large groups of well-organised and wellarmed men at several businesses in the Helderberg. The robberies took place at liquor stores, jewellers and clothing stores (see page 2). Teenagers have also been mugged and bicycles and cell phones stolen and to add to this there has been a myriad of scam operations. Residents are becoming uneasy and demand answers from the SAPS about the crime wave. See detailed map of the areas targeted by criminals on page 7.