Somerset West police are experiencing an increase in house robberies since the beginning of May.
Sergeant Suzan Jantjies, spokesperson for the Somerset West police, confirms three cases of house robberies have been reported, and in all three cases the modus operandi is similar.
She described a house robbery as an incident where a burglar enters residential premises and threatens the occupants by using a weapon or force. “They do this to gain control over goods or items belonging to the occupants of the residence, after which they flee with the stolen goods.”
In all three of the cases opened at the police station the complainants were at their place of residence when the suspects gained entry to their homes.
“It is very difficult to guess the ages of the suspects because they are all wearing masks,” Jantjies said. “These suspects stole several items from the households, including three vehicles: a white Ford EcoSport with registration Mpws32WP, a navy blue Toyota Corolla with registration number XKT462GP and a grey Mazda 2 with registration number CA 406203.
“They operate in groups of three to five and they are armed with firearms.”
George Kruger, chairperson of Victoria Park Neighbourhood Watch who is also part of the community policing forum in Somerset West, says the break-ins are increasing because a lot of people lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Most of the house break-ins are committed by people outside of the area,” he said. “We urge people to make sure that their garages are closed properly. We notice that during load shedding people tend to forget to lock up their homes properly.”
Jantjies urges homeowners and tenants to make sure of their surroundings when they arrive at their homes and to make sure that they are not being followed.
“Make sure that your gate and doors are properly closed and that your alarm is working and activated, even when you are at your residence. Immediately alert police when you notice suspicious people or vehicles in your suburbs.”
Somerset West police have not recovered any of the stolen vehicles yet.
“We ask the public for their assistance,” concludes Jantjies. “If they have any details on the whereabouts of the stolen vehicles or details of the suspects then they can contact the station at 021 850 1344.”
