crime report from ADT

ADT Crime Newsletter – 17 June 2010

• Caught in the act in Jeffrey’s Bay
• Man dies after being stabbed in Bethelsdorp
• Armed Robbery in Kwazakhele
• Construction company has computers stolen
• Workshop tools stolen from business in North End
• Tech savvy thieves disconnect alarm of school in East London
• Business burgled after thieves break through wall
• Armed Robbery in Quaggafontein
• Five men rob house in KwaNobuhle
• Guard beat unconscious in Motherwell
• Thieves with a sweet tooth burgle business in Greenbushes
• Construction worker caught for stealing from home owner
• Copper pipes stolen in Charlo
• Greenbushes man stabbed repeatedly in head
• Domestic dispute sees man attack wife with hammer

Caught in the act in Jefferies Bay
A man was caught and arrested for theft after forcing open a garage door of a premises in Jefferies Bay. The man gained access to the garage and helped himself to a wheelbarrow that was inside. He then proceeded to load the wheelbarrow with three bags of cement, a jigsaw, extension cord and other items, not realizing that he had triggered the alarm.

As he was exiting the garage, he walked straight into the arms of an awaiting ADT Armed Response officer, who detained him and handed him over to the Jefferies Bay police.

Man dies after being stabbed in Bethelsdorp
Two men from Bethelsdorp Extension were attacked and repeatedly stabbed while out on Sunday evening, June 7 shortly after 10pm.

The young men ran to the home of one of the men.
When they got to the house, the man’s friend collapsed outside. He had been stabbed multiple times and had sustained critical injuries causing him to bleed out where he had collapsed. He passed away at the scene.

The second man, aged 21, sustained a stab wound to his arm and was suffering from shock. The boy was taken to hospital where he was stabilized and treated for shock. Bethelsdorp police have opened a case of murder and attempted murder and are investigating.

Armed robbery in KwaZakhele
Two men armed with firearms forced their way into a business premises in Kwazakhele on Monday, 7 June at around 9am, and demanded money from the clients inside the shop. The men took two cellphones and around R500 in cash before fleeing the scene.

No shots were fired and no one was injured in the robbery.

Construction Company has computers stolen
Three computers valued at around R15 000 were stolen from a construction company based in Walmer on Monday, June 7. The thieves appeared to have gained entry by forcing the left hand side window of the offices open.
A case of burglary has been opened with the Walmer police.

Workshop tools stolen from business in North End

Opportunistic thieves managed to gain access to a business in North End after discovering a faulty padlock on a gate at the back of the premises. Although the gate was secured with a tight chain, the padlock appeared to have been defective and the men made their way onto the premises and into a workshop, where they then stole approximately R15 000 worth of tools as well as a computer from one of the offices.

A case of theft has been opened with the Mount Road Police Station.

Note from ADT.
Always ensure that your locks are in good working order and that all access points to your premises has been secured before leaving the site for the evening. Opportunistic thieves will test access points and if they discover a weakness, will take full advantage of this.
Tech savvy thieves disconnect alarm of school in East London

A principal of a school in Newlands, East London, found that the school alarm had been disabled and the various sensors he had installed in his office had been removed by burglars who had broken in the night before.

The thieves then proceeded to help themselves to the office equipment, including the principal’s computer.

A case of theft has been opened and police are investigating.

Note from ADT
No alarm system is infallible, however keeping these tips in mind and you could significantly reduce your risk.
• Aside from the general door and window sensors, consider installing motion detectors in the room as well as in the roof, as roof breaks are becoming more frequent as criminals attempt to bypass alarms.
• Have your alarm company regularly check and service your alarm system
• Notify your alarm company immediately if you think your system isn’t working properly.
• Make sure everyone who uses your alarm system understands how it works.
• You may cancel an alarm signal that you know is false by immediately contacting your monitoring company
• Before activating your alarm system when you leave your premises, lock all protected doors and windows, and keep pets, balloons and fans away from monitoring sensor areas.
• If you re-enter your home because you have forgotten something, turn off the alarm and reset it when you leave again.
• Know how to "clear" a wrong code if you make a mistake on the keypad.

Business burgled after thieves break through wall.
A business owner in North End was surprised to find that he had been burgled and that the thieves had left him with a gaping hole in his back wall when arriving at work on Tuesday morning.

Apparently the thieves had meticulously removed a number of bricks from the back wall of the premises until there was a hole big enough to climb through. They then passed a large amount of meat that had been kept in a freezer in the storage room out through the hole, before fleeing.

Because the thieves did not force open any doors or windows, and no motion detectors had been installed on the premises, the alarm did not activate. Police are investigating a case of theft.

Armed robbery in Quaggafontein
Three men armed with firearms forced their way into a shop in Quaggafontein in East London on Tuesday, 8 June, at around 6.45pm.
The shop manager and his assistant were in the process of locking the store when the men forced their way in and held them at gunpoint. The robbers then demanded money and proceeded to take the manager and cashier’s cellphones as well as money from the registers, before fleeing.

No shots were fired and no injuries were reported. Police have opened a case of armed robbery.

Five men rob house in KwaNobuhle
A man was robbed of R16 000, cellphones, jewellery, a computer and groceries after five men approached him at his home in KwaNobuhle in the morning on June 9.

The owner was still at home when the men approached him and threatened him with a firearm. They then took him inside and forced him to hand over the money while others ransacked the home before fleeing. Police have opened a case of armed robbery.

Guard beat unconscious in Motherwell.

A Security guard who was on patrol at a business premises in Motherwell was severely beaten last week. The guard was found lying unconscious on the grounds by ADT Armed Response officers after he failed to return to his check point and was reported missing.

The officers arrived and searched the grounds and found the man unconscious, lying in a pool of blood, bleeding severely with a hole in his head from where he had been beaten. The man was taken to Greenacres hospital by ambulance and stabilized. Police have opened an assault case and are investigating.
Note from ADT
Ensure all roving guards are issued with remote panics with adequate range.


Thieves with a sweet tooth burgle business in Greebushes

A number of boxes full of chocolate, as well as alcohol and cigarettes were stolen from a business in Greenbushes on Wednesday evening last week. The thieves broke through the wall alongside the front door to gain access to the building, before making off with the stolen items.

Police are investigating a case of burglary.
Note from ADT
All areas should be protected by relevant detectors.

Construction worker caught for stealing from home owner
A man working as part of a construction crew at a home in Summerstrand was caught stealing R900 out of the homeowner’s handbag last week. The worker had apparently followed the woman inside the house where they had been building. When she put her bag down, he waited till she had left the room and rifled through the bag, taking R900 from the purse.

The homeowner noticed the money was missing and reported the matter to the police. The Summerstrand police have opened a case of theft.

Copper pipes stolen in Charlo

A premises in Charlo had the garden flooded after thieves stole all the copper piping as well as the taps off the outside of the building.

Tip from ADT
Copper theft remains a problem in Port Elizabeth. Know where your main water switch to your premises is and that it is easily accessible, so that should your copper pipes be stolen the water supply can be turned off until the pipes are replaced.

There is very little that can be done to discourage the theft of copper piping, aside from making it difficult to gain access to the premises. If copper theft is an ongoing problem in your area, consider replacing the piping with an alternative such as an aluminum plastic composite.

Greenbushes man stabbed repeatedly in head
Emergency personnel rushed out to Greenbushes last week Friday evening, to assist a man who had lost a significant amount of blood after being stabbed repeatedly in the head.

The 26 year old man was stabilsed and taken to hospital. Police are investigating a case of assault.

Domestic dispute sees man attack wife with a hammer
A man in KwaNoxolo attacked his wife with a hammer after a domestic dispute, leaving two gaping wounds on her head. It is not clear what the quarrel was about, but the man picked up the hammer and beat his wife with it repeatedly.
The 42 year old woman ran from the home to a neighbour who then pressed the panic button of her alarm. The woman was taken to Dora Nginza Hospital for treatment, while police are investigating a case of assault against the man.