Cape Town - Thieves, using the crowbar gang method, have burgled at least four houses in the northern suburbs recently.
The armed response group District Watch says it has been collating information and statistics while monitoring homes in Monte Vista, Plattekloof Glen, Edgemead, Welgelegen, Kleinbosch, Panorama and Bothasig.
Last week, the company posted statistics on crowbar-related incidents between September 22 and October 13. The statistics showed that there were four burglaries reported in Vredekloof Estate, Uitzicht Barcelona Estate, Welgemoed Estate and Durbanville Hills.
Gawie Venter, sales and marketing manager of District Watch, said the figures were compiled from incidents recorded by neighbourhood watches.
He said the security company was creating awareness among residents about “crowbar gang activities”.
“The crowbar gang is moving to the northern suburbs because the area is regarded as a soft target.”
Venter said the northern suburbs installed the License Plate Regulator cameras, which made it easier to track suspicious vehicles. “We are also meeting with neighbourhood watches interested in this new technique.”
Last year, homes in the southern suburbs were the targets of crowbar-style break-ins.
Venter said there has been a spate of burglaries, using crowbars, but he could not confirm if this had become a trend with burglars.
Joan Smith, from the Plattekloof, Welgelegen and Panorama (PWP) Neighbourhood Watch, said the community was becoming increasingly concerned.
“We are becoming more paranoid and traumatised. What kind of life is this?” she asked.
Smith said in the past month the neighbourhood watch had recorded about 16 “crowbar burglaries”.
“They take everything, including laptops, cellphones and jewellery. If a family happens to be at home, they become the targets of assault.”
Smith said she believed that “crowbar burglaries” were a new trend and not a syndicate. “It’s a modus operandi that is being copied by everyone.
“But even then, sometimes they don’t use crowbars but anything sharp.”
She said robbers took less than three minutes to break-in to a home.
“They know that there are alarms. Once they break through the security gate it takes a minute or so to get in the house before the alarm triggers.
“When the alarm goes off, they know they have another minute or more for armed response to arrive.”
Smith said burglars “drove upmarket cars and blended in”; they first scouted the houses before breaking in.
Jonathan Rees, a spokesman for the Institute of Security Studies, agreed with Smith.
“Using crowbars is not a new trend but has always been a method for breaking into houses. A South Africa Police Services report, based on the 2015 crime statistics, said it took an average of 14 minutes for police to respond to alpha crime, which are crimes in progress.”
Venter said the District Watch responded in less than five minutes.
“Response to bravo crime, crime that had already taken place, takes about 19 minutes.”
In the most recent crowbar-related burglary, CCTV footage of a crowbar burglary taking place was posted on the Table View Neighbours group’s Facebook page.
The incident, which took place last Monday at about 9.38am, showed a man dressed in a beanie and jersey walking to a house and fidgeting with the door handle.
He turns back to the getaway vehicle – a white Jetta – parked outside and returns with an accomplice and a crowbar in hand.
They both fiddle with the door and then force it open.
The driver of the getaway vehicle can be seen struggling to manoeuvre the car into a position for a fast getaway.
Another two suspects enter the house, and re-emerge carrying plasma TVs and other items. They then re-enter the house, returning to the car with more goods. They then drive off. The burglary took less than two minutes.
Justin Croucher, from the Table View Neighbourhood Watch, said the crowbar gang had also been targeting their area.
Cape Argus
* E-mail your opinion to [email protected] and we will consider it for publication or use our Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.