CRIME AND OURSELVES
ROBBERIES This week a resident was robbed. This is something that we would not wish on our worst enemy. Apart from the loss of personal items there is also the trauma that goes with it, the uninvited invasion of our personal privacy.
According to our records, we, in Doringkloof, have not been the target of too many robberies, i.e., where the criminals come into our homes and with force/violence take our things from us. Unfortunately, there is little we have that can help us predict the next robbery.
One thing we do know is that most robberies in Doringkloof occur from early evening till about 20:00. Residents are therefore urged to start securing their homes from about the time the sun starts to set and people are no longer on the streets. Now is the time to check that your gate is secure and cannot be opened/lifted, that the outside doors are closed and locked and your radio is with you, (with the battery charged). Now might also been the time to switch on the outside detection beams if you do not intend to go out again.
Another indicator that a robbery is possibly being planned is a strange vehicle parked on the side of the road, during the early evening for no apparent reason. This vehicle will then move away after about 20 minutes and then return, park nearby and then move in with the purpose of actually breaking into the house. Residents who observe such a vehicle must call on the radio and then with support from the neighbours, possibly confront the occupants of the vehicle. The chances are that they will get the hint that they have been detected and that we are willing to stop them. Potential robbers will in all likelihood then depart out of Doringkloof, especially if they know we have their details and are going to stop them.
The above all has to do with what we as residents do to make sure we are secure. What about the neighbourhood watch. Your immediate neighbours are your best line of defence. They are the ones who can best support you if you are unsure of your safety. So take the time and go out and get to know them, make sure that they are members of the DNW and have a radio. Get their telephone numbers and chat about how you can support each other should any one of you feel that you may become the victim of a crime. (Neighbours are those next door to you, behind you and across the road from you.)
INTRUDERS With so many men out of work and without any prospect of work, there is a tendency for them to become desperate and turn to petty crime to get enough money for food. Drug addicts are similarly motivated to get their next fix. These petty thieves will come into Doringkloof any time from about 02:00 till 04:00 and jump walls/fences to see what they can take. Their first target is anything of value that can be taken without physically having to break anything. They will then usually target your vehicle parked in the driveway, taking the radio if they can, or the GPS, the laptop or anything you leave in the car. The quickest way to stop these intruders is to spot them in you garden, and call immediately on the radio. This will mobilise the rest of us to come out in support and catch the trespasser.
Together we can stop crime, be part of the solution.
Regards,
DNW Team
DNW Team
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