CRIME SCENE

29 July       An attempted burglary took place at a business in Jean Ave.  The palisade fence was cut and the outside lights were stolen.

1 August    A thief stole the gate lights off a property in Leonie Ave as well as in Mahonie St.  In fact, it was reported that the light in Mahonie St could only be removed if it was ripped-off using a motor vehicle.  Unfortunately for the suspect, he was spotted and followed down Leonie St to the recycling area near Supersport Park where the suspect managed to disappear.  However, the stolen lights were recovered.   The recovery was largely thanks to the excellent response by DNW members.  Our thanks to Pierre and all those who responded to this incident. We can assume that the “residents” of the recycling area now know that the DNW will go in there, if necessary, to apprehend criminals.

8 August    A burglar entered a home in Glover St by accessing the home through an open bathroom window.  A laptop, a hard drive and cell phones were stolen.

10 August  A burglary took place in Bashee Ave during the power outage (due to cable theft).  The suspect entered the garden flat and took the laptop and a purse.

The above information is provided to our residents in order to alert them to the fact that crime still does take place.   However, we do have the choice to do something about it.

Become an active member of the DNW

  1. For a start, we can look at our own personal safety by ensuring that we have adequate security. It is the little things that we should also attend to.  Only have a window open at night in the room(s) that you actually occupy.  Close all other windows.  Switch on your outside beams/motion detectors during the early evening and then only put them off when you are up and about the next morning.  It is easier to say sorry to your neighbours if you inadvertently set them off during this period than having to go through the trauma of a burglary.
  2. If our neighbour calls on the radio that they suspect that someone is in their yard, we, as DNW members, immediately go to a window and check our own yard to see whether the suspect(s) have not jumped over the wall into our own garden. Then we can go out and check over the wall into our neighbour’s garden to see whether we can spot the suspect. Don’t forget to take your radio with you.  (If the neighbour phones you to says there is a suspect in his yard, ask him or her politely to phone the police – just joking – you will still react the same way but call the incident in on the radio.  You can then badger your neighbour the next morning to buy a radio and become an active DNW member).
  3. When we formed the DNW in 2006 the idea was that everyone who bought a radio automatically accepted the fact that they were now an involved member of the DNW. If they saw a suspicious vehicle or a person, they were the person, not only to report the fact to the coordinator and but also were the first responders, that is the person that kept the suspicious person or vehicle in sight.  They did this until the suspicious person or vehicle moved on, where after the next resident then responded and reported the further movement. This meant that residents kept their radio on and listened out all the time.  If the incident was in their vicinity they would automatically go out and keep the suspicious person or vehicle in their sight.   There was no such thing as a resident asking someone else to come and check the suspicious vehicle or person in their street unless the caller was a frail old person who was not really up to it.

In Conclusion, our thanks go to Hannes and his responders who went out beyond the borders of Doringkloof to see to the power outage last week.   It was their dedication that quickly resolved the problem and got our power back on; faster than we have experienced it for a long time. 

Regards,
DNW Team