Organised burglars in Bloemfontein are targeting residential estate complexes, taking advantage of winter’s longer hours of darkness. Private security group Fidelity ADT said spikes in break-ins were reported in Bayswater, Noordhoek, Helicon Heights, and Pentagon Park.
According to the group, during this just-ended month of May, nine burglary cases were reported after a syndicate invaded homes despite deterrents such as high walls, which have become an intrinsic part of suburban life.
Charnel Hattingh, head of marketing for Fidelity ADT, said the burglars typically invade in the early hours of the morning, between 01:00 and 05:00.
“The perception is often that very high walls and fancy entrances to complexes deter criminals, but this is not always the case,” said Hattingh.
Furthermore, she highlighted the fact that burglary syndicates also operated intelligently.
“It is not uncommon to hear of cases where criminals have moved into complexes posing as residents and then break into houses before moving out with their stolen goods.
“The bottom line is that even in a secured complex, there is always a risk of burglaries and theft from inside and outside the complex, and everyone needs to remain vigilant and responsible for their personal security,” said Hattingh, further stressing the importance of complex dwellers remaining vigilant and reporting suspicious behaviour.
Hattingh encourages residents to not leave doors and windows open simply because there is security in the complex.
“They also should not be complacent, thinking that the complex security is enough. We highly recommend that residents have alarms and other security measures in place in their individual units.”
Housebreaking is one of the rife crimes in South Africa, according to police-gathered data on crime.
Crime statistics for the third quarter of 2023-’24, which covers October to December 2023, showed that while burglaries have declined, residential robberies with aggravated circumstances increased.
About 1,1 million households experienced housebreaking incidents in the 2022-’23 period.
Housebreaking, the most common crime experienced by households, increased by 10% in the 2022-’23 period, compared with the 2021-’22 period, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) says.
An estimated 1,6 million incidents of housebreaking occurred in 2022-’23, affecting 1,1 million households, or 5,7% of all households in the country.
Findings reveal that organised syndicates’ modus operandi is to also target gate motors, tampering and stealing the devices to access complexes and homes.
The common method criminals use include gate blocking and lifting the gates.
In addition, investigations reveal syndicates have learned to deactivate gate motors unnoticed, to access houses and commit break-ins.
