CAMBRIDGE police station commander Brigadier Alex Sofute said yesterday the escalating rates of housebreak-ins and house robbery in Amalinda and Cambridge were giving him sleepless nights.
The station achieved an 8% drop in crime but the brigadier said he was not impressed. “I cannot celebrate a drop in one category while other crime categories in crease,” he said.
A police task team formed to investigate and curb robberies has arrested 15 suspects between March and April.
The team is headed by Major Mxolisi Machine.
During the arrests eight plasma screen TVs, a laptop, an iPhone and an iPad were recovered. The goods were valued at R70000.
“We are fighting this scourge.Police visibility has been in creased but the public must realise police cannot be everywhere at the same time. We cannot fight crime alone; we need help from residents,” Machine said.
He said the public could assist police by being cautious.
“There are safety tips they need to adhere to. Homeowners should not open their gates to strangers and should not sleep with their windows open,” he said.
Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said suspects were becoming increasingly brazen. In one incident on March 8, a group of suspects armed with pick handles entered a house in Rowntreetrie Crescent, Amalinda, and bashed the door down.
“It was 5am and the suspects did not know how many occupants were in the house or whether the occupants had firearms or not.
“The suspects were bold, as if possessed. They stormed into the house and the home owner locked himself in the bedroom,” Mbi said.
He said the suspects then bashed down the bedroom door and assaulted the homeowner be fore robbing him. These cases and many others are being investigat ed and others are being heard in the East London Magistrate’s Court. —
Cambridge cops worry over house break-ins
The station achieved an 8% drop in crime but the brigadier said he was not impressed. “I cannot celebrate a drop in one category while other crime categories in crease,” he said.
A police task team formed to investigate and curb robberies has arrested 15 suspects between March and April.
The team is headed by Major Mxolisi Machine.
During the arrests eight plasma screen TVs, a laptop, an iPhone and an iPad were recovered. The goods were valued at R70000.
“We are fighting this scourge.Police visibility has been in creased but the public must realise police cannot be everywhere at the same time. We cannot fight crime alone; we need help from residents,” Machine said.
He said the public could assist police by being cautious.
“There are safety tips they need to adhere to. Homeowners should not open their gates to strangers and should not sleep with their windows open,” he said.
Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said suspects were becoming increasingly brazen. In one incident on March 8, a group of suspects armed with pick handles entered a house in Rowntreetrie Crescent, Amalinda, and bashed the door down.
“It was 5am and the suspects did not know how many occupants were in the house or whether the occupants had firearms or not.
“The suspects were bold, as if possessed. They stormed into the house and the home owner locked himself in the bedroom,” Mbi said.
He said the suspects then bashed down the bedroom door and assaulted the homeowner be fore robbing him. These cases and many others are being investigat ed and others are being heard in the East London Magistrate’s Court. —
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