The Precinct Community News “Telling it like it is!”
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Volume 4 Issue 4
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ISSN 2222-0313
NIGHTMARE On SHERIDAn ROAD
6
CRIMInALS TARGET CELLULAR SHOP
17 May 2011
7
HOBBITECH 2011
Urgent warning to Mercedes Benz owners Please be aware that Mercedes-Benz vehicles have become serious targets for hijackers. C-Class is top of the list. There have been nine hijackings of C-Class vehicles on the East Rand alone in the last week. Two of these occurred in Farrarmere last week. The first took place on the night of Sunday 8 May, with the tracking unit being removed and found in Tembisa. This vehicle is still missing.
The second incident occurred on the evening of Tuesday 10 May, and on this occasion the suspects took the driver with them. The resident was dropped off two hours later in the middle of the squatter camp in Tembisa. Luckily he met a member of the Tembisa Patrollers who lent him a phone to call home, and we immediately set off to collect him. In both of these incidents in Farrarmere,
the suspects were driving a Mercedes-Benz C-Class. On Thursday 12 May a further two C-Class Mercs were hijacked, one in Sunward Park and one in Roodepoort. The Sunward Park vehicle was recovered in Dalpark, and the vehicle used by the hijackers was believed to be an X1 BMW or similar. The hijackers took the female driver of
the vehicle hijacked in Roodepoort with them. Thankfully they dropped her off in an undisclosed location. Her vehicle has not yet been recovered. We urge everyone to increase their awareness. Unless you have been a victim of a hijacking, one can only imagine the trauma associated with it, which must be 10 times worse if you are taken prisoner in your own vehicle.
Our dreaded hijackers are back! It seems that they also go away for Easter. Hijackings were down in April, but since the beginning of May they have picked up again. Please be extremely aware when pulling in or out of your driveways as there have been incidents where the perpetrators have been on foot and other times where they are driving luxury vehicles such as Mercedes Benz and Audi. Mercedes C-Class and Audi are high on the list of vehicles being hijacked at the moment. Another handy hint is to check your vehicle tracking every year, (some companies stipulate every two years) because we have had incidents
where the battery of the unit was flat and the tracking company could not track the vehicle. It is yours and not the tracking company’s duty to check the batteries and most of the time, we realise this too late. House break-ins are still high as it is very difficult to curb these crimes. Although SAPS do many “stop and searches”, it is difficult to stop every single suspicious person or vehicle. The SAPS and FCP need your help in reporting suspicious behaviour. Even if it seems trivial, you could in effect be saving somebody’s life. Domestic violence is also very prevalent lately especially with the economy as it is and coupled with alcohol and drug abuse, this is becoming an even more serious problem by the day. The difficult times that people are experiencing financially is also increasing suicide rates, so
we all have to be very aware of family and friends especially and how they are acting. Your attentiveness to their actions and pleas for help could realistically save their life. FCP has systems in place to help people through these tough times. On a positive side, we would like to welcome the Homestead Helpers as a sub-committee of FCP. This is a group of very dedicated people who look after the Homestead Dam amenities, especially where the Council has failed. FCP, being a community driven system gets involved in these projects as we can only achieve certain goals by working together with all people who are willing to sacrifice some of their time and money for the greater good of the Community, a trait that has become lacking in many people. So next time you are down at the dam and it looks clean
and tidy (the toilets are in good condition) please spare a thought for those people, even a thankyou or a donation towards the costs involved. From FCP’s side, we thank you for the time sacrificed so that we can go and enjoy a walk in the park. The closure of Farrarmere is going along steadily and we have almost reached the required mandates percentage to apply for the closure. We will give a more accurate rundown in one of the next issues of PCN. Remember that every first Wednesday of the month, there is a public meeting at Belverdere School, Uys Krige Street, where an update is given and you can ask questions i.c.w. the closure. So please try and attend if you can, as we can only answer a question if it is asked and then it can be dealt with. Yours in community safety
FCP
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