THE PRECINCT COMMUNITY NEWS
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Volume 5 Issue 20
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3 2 Alleged Human Remains Found BOKSBURG NORTH MASTER CHEFS
By Philip Allebone
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ISSN 2222-0313
ARMED BUSINESS ROBBERIES
ork on a building site in Jet Park ground to a halt on Thursday 28 June when what could possibly be human remains was unearthed as they prepared the ground for foundations. The site manager contacted the Precinct Patrolmen to ask them what to do about the bones, as they were clearly very old. The Patrolmen called it in to the Control Room, who notified the police, who promptly closed off the scene. The bones will be tested to see if they are human and if not the work will continue. Should the bones prove to be human, however, then the matter will have to be investigated further. Asking the men in the site, I was informed that this is not the first time such things have happened, and apparently the turning up of strange things is fairly commonplace. There are several stories of things found around Johannesburg, ranging from fresh bodies to ancient remains as well as hidden stashes of things that over the years people have buried and then forgotten about. One such story was the unearthing of a forgotten cemetery that further investigation showed to have been
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on the property of a long since demolished mental hospital. Each story I have since been told has become more and more macabre, and often comes with the assertion that we KNOW it is true, as we know the person whose brother’s uncle’s sister’s cousin was THERE. (I am sure you know those types of stories). The Urban Legends that people tell are certainly fascinating, even if they lack a little basis in fact, yet they still
tell you a great deal about people in general. I am sure that this story will one day morph its way into the Legend status, and of course...I was there, I can tell you, it happened. It just goes to show, of course, that the past is always with us and sooner or later it will turn itself up again. Makes you wonder what might lie under your feet at this very moment, layers of the past that we have forgotten or never knew.
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4 July 2012
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Armed and Dangerous By Philip Allebone
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t seems now that the weather is showing signs of warming up a bit, the criminals are coming out of hibernation too. In the space of eight hours between the night of the 1st and the morning of the 2nd of July, there have been two armed business robberies that we are aware of. On the 1st at 21h41 the Total Racecourse Garage in Atlas Road pressed their panic button. A Precinct patrol vehicle was immediately despatched and it was ascertained that an armed robbery had just taken place at their premises. A vehicle with four occupants had stopped at the garage. Two of the suspects were allegedly ‘pumping up a tyre’ while two of their friends got out of the vehicle and went into the shop, holding up the cashier with 9mm’s before fleeing in the direction of the golf course. They suspects drove a white golf, and it was money from the tills that they were looking for. The other incident took place at Argus Motors
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on Great North Road, Brentwood Park, where at 08h19 a panic button was pressed. A Precinct patrol vehicle was despatched to the scene, to discover that an armed robbery had just occurred. Apparently there were six men involved, all young and well dressed. Four of the suspects stayed with their vehicle, which was parked at the nearby Zenex garage. Two other suspects went inside the premises. These men aroused no initial suspicion as they were dressed in uniforms that, apart from the logo, were nearly identical to the uniform worn by the workers there. Apparently the two suspects who entered the business, asked for the ladies in the cash office by name, indicating a strong familiarity with the place. Once they had been shown into the cash office, they drew their firearms and demanded cash. The suspects left with a large amount of money which, at the time, was outside the safe in a plastic container. The criminals then fled in a Toyota Hilux. Both cases show a marked familiarity with their choice of target, and so it is clear that we need to be more aware of whom is working on our property and of whom we hire.
PCN 4 July 2012
Put your entry in an envelope and drop it in the box attached to The PCN stand at either Mannys Build it, Pick ‘n Pay Sheridan Centre Farrarmere, Oakfields Pick ‘n Pay, Checkers Bonaero Shopping Centre, Spar Rynfield Terrace or Rebel Fruit & Veg Atlasville. Alternatively you can email it to info@thepcn. co.za. Don’t forget to include your name and a contact number. Originals must be produced in order to collect prize.Only one original entry per person entering will be accepted. Entries
will close every Tuesday for a weekly draw. Don't lose heart if you are not a winner of the weekly draw, as all entries received during the month will go into a further draw at the end of the month to win a voucher to the value of R1000.Winners will be announced in the next issue of The PCN following the draw.
Congratulations to last weeks winner, Jeanette Naicker who claims the R250 Mannys Build It voucher. Well Done!!!
Shakespeare: Hamlet Find and circle all of the words relating to Hamlet that are hidden in the grid. The remaining letters spell a secret message - a Hamlet quotation.
Body of Evidence By Philip Allebone
On Wednesday 27 June a body was found in a field in New Modder Street. Shane, a man who works in the area apparently saw the body and called it in to the control room, and a patrol vehicle was despatched to the scene and the police alerted. The body was apparently that of an Indian male who had been bound and gagged and then strangled. Marks on the ground indicated that the man had been dragged to where the body was found. The name of the deceased has been withheld pending further investigation.
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The man is apparently a respected member of the community with no known ties to any illegal activities whatsoever. He was known to run a ‘taxi’ service for people who wanted to go to Caesar’s, yet on his last trip he simply never returned. His family and friends became concerned and contacted the Actonville CPF, who both contacted the police and started to put out fliers and ask around for anyone who might have seen him. Alas the very next day his body was found. There is no known reason, at this stage, for his murder, and his car was found at Lever Brothers, apparently abandoned by him. Police are investigating the matter further to try and discover what may have occurred and why the man was targeted.
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THE PRECINCT COMMUNITY NEWS
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The Precinct Community News is published by the Joint Precincts. Contributions are submitted at the senders risk. The Joint Precincts do not accept responsibility for material lost. The Joint Precincts reserve the right to make changes to any material submitted for publication. All rights reserved. All crime statistics are those logged by the commuinty control room and are those logged by the community control room and are not necessarily those of the newspaper. Reproduction without written permission of the Editor is strictly prohibited. To enquire about reproduction of any material contained in this publication please email info@ thepcn.co.za. CODE OF CONDUCT: This newspaper has committed itself to report news truthfully and accurately, and to publish comment that is fair in accordance with the highest standards of journalism, as set out in the Press code of South Africa. Complaints that this code has been breached may be lodged with the office of the Press Ombudsman. Written complaints with a copy of the report concerned may be sent to the press ombudsman at fax: 011 484 3612 or email khanyim@ombudsman.org.za
PCN 4 July 2012
Landscaping Begins By Philip Allebone The work being done at Atlasvillespruit is well underway and there are graders starting the preliminary landscaping that will create a floodplain that allows for extra flooding control should (when?) the water rises again. There is a temporary disfigurement of the park
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area while an incline is set into the landscape, but the result will be safer and very good looking indeed! There is one group that seems to be benefiting from the grading already and that is the birds, who are taking full advantage of the disturbed soil to make a feast of the exposed goggas. The plans are that once the main landscaping is complete, then the reeds will be dredged out and the channel will be cleared and repaired where necessary.
Fun and Charity
T
he Police Cluster for Brakpan hosted a charity fun day on Wednesday 27th June. The police have to do fitness assessments on a regular basis, and it was decided that the best way to do the assessments was to make them into something that gives back to the community. The day proved to be a great success, as they had not only the assessments, but a mechanical bull, a jumping castle for the kids, and several events to watch. The main feature, however, was a ‘Master Chef’ style cook off between the stations, with the food that each station prepared going to the charity of their choice. Boksburg, Boksburg North, Brakpan, Tsakhane and Reiger Park all cooked off against each other with spirit and verve, under the watchful eye of Brigadier van der Westhuizen, and the judging proved that the best police cooks are
Boksburg North. The real winners, of course, were the charities, and representatives of each charity were present to receive the food that had been made with great happiness. Said the Brigadier, “It is very cold now, and these people deserve a good hot meal, It is also our way of saying thank you to the community and giving something back.” The day had also a number of aims, in that as the Brigadier pointed out, “The police work under a lot of pressure, so a day like this gives them a
chance to just be human for a bit. Also we want to say thank you to the community for their support of us in our work.” It is great to see the dedication of these police officers, and the spirit and energy that they have. It is something of an inspiration to see that on a day that they have to unwind, they still make it a time to serve the community. The Brigadier has a great deal to be proud of in his people, and well done to Colonel Sam Thambo and his team of expert cooks, W/O
O’Niel, W/O Fourie, SAC Benson, SAC Modise and SAC Prinsloo. We hope that the charities that benefited, St. Francis Care Centre, Rose of Sharon, Thandi’s Crèche, Mercy’s Heaven and the Loved Ones of God, all enjoy the fine food that was made. There is little as warming as a good meal made with care just for you, and the police have once again shown that they care for the community in many ways. Well done Guys.
Where do you keep your handbag? There has been a sudden increase once again in incidents of ‘smash and grab’ at various offramps in recent weeks, with a number of ladies travelling alone losing their handbags. While we have asked in the past for women not to leave their handbags on the passenger seat, this continues. However, it has also come to our attention that some ladies keep their handbags under the seat – not as safe as you may think. The criminals have realised that if there is
no handbag visible, the chances are that it is hidden under the seat. When they break the window of the vehicle, they immediately reach down and grab it from its hiding place. It takes only a few seconds. We can only suggest that while driving you keep your handbag in the boot of your car. Ladies, when travelling alone at night, please be extra cautious when leaving the highway and/or stopping at robots. This is when you are at your most vulnerable.
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Wild and Wonderful By Philip Allebone It was an unusual sight to see at a shopping mall in Northmead, but nevertheless, a cheetah prowled the parking lot at Oakfields and pythons watched beadily as passersby stopped to gawk. The reason for this wildness was to promote awareness in wildlife and endangered species, and to try to show people that it is mainly ignorance that scares us away from the wonderful world of reptiles. Certainly being afraid would not have helped, since Sasha a young Burmese was curled comfortably around my neck and arm while I was talking to Wesley, a professional snake handler and the owner of Titan Reptiles. “I set this up with Brett from Passario,” said Wesley, “so we can educate people.” It was certainly an education, since Wesley, who is certified to handle even up to the dreaded Black Mamba, did no less than two displays with X and Fifi, a mated pair of Rinkhals. He also arranged to bring two Burmese Pythons, one of them an albino, and people were allowed to touch them and have their photo taken with them. There were also a number of other snakes and reptiles on display, and Wesley had further arranged to have James Oertel from the SA National Bird of Prey Centre and Wildlife Sanctuary to bring Sahara, the cheetah he has raised from a cub.
There were prizes to be won, including a cheetah display, a hair styling at Passario’s, and more, and the day was sponsored by a number of businesses in the area, such as Pulse Tat2, Rampage modelling Agency, who supplied models to the day, The Yours in Health Fitness Centre, and the prizes even included a live Snake! Comments from the day included extremes. “The only good snake is a dead snake!” said Amy, from Cape Town. “They are so nice!” said Brandon, a local eleven year old. “Ek is baaie life vir slange” said Marko, four. And to show that girls are snake people too, Adrienne was there for her ninth birthday, and said that she not only loved snakes, but she already has a few as pets. It seems that whatever boys can do, girls can do better! All in all it was exciting, educational and all round fun. If you ever want a day to remember, contact Wesley to bring his snakes, and if you hate snakes and have one in the house, contact him anyway – most people are bitten trying to remove a snake, and according to Wesley, it is better to back away, leave it alone, and call a professional – they know what they are doing.
PCN 4 July 2012
PCN 4 July 2012
Crime that Bugs You! It seems that con artists will go to any lengths to make a con, and it appears that we are often all too willing to let them. I suppose that we have an inbuilt need to assume that other human beings are, well, human. This is obviously not the case, and is the very reason that con artists are able to make a living. The latest tale of woe involved a lady who was advised by a fellow she met that he could solve her cockroach problems for good, and in the course of the conversation inveigled himself into her home. The cockroaches, alas are still there, but her wallet and laptop have vanished, so we must assume that he used the ‘expensive item’ deterrent rather than the cockroach deterrent. Seriously speaking though, we do need to accept one real equality that exists in all human beings, regardless of race, colour
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or creed – the intrinsic right to be a criminal swine. Accept it and realise that you really cannot trust people that you don’t know. There is a great deal of crime in our rainbow nation, but with a little care we can make it a lot harder for the criminals to succeed. People are always talking about being ‘green’ and aware of the eco issues kin our world, or being a ‘smart shopper’ and going for the hottest bargains and saving money. Maybe we need to be ‘crime wise’ and educate ourselves on how to save money by not letting people steal from us. Maybe we could get a cool jingle to go with it or a bumper sticker, but either way, pay attention to those you interact with. Statistics show that many crimes are committed even by people that we know well, so if we cannot ever trust all our friends, what on earth makes you believe you can trust a stranger?
Road Safety By Philip Allebone
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t seems that even when the council do something right, they also manage to do something wrong. There have been requests from people in Cedar Street in Northmead for repairs to be made to a leak that has plagued them for over a month. When the workers finally arrived to fix the leak, they dug a huge hole in the road and then left. According to one resident, when they were there, most of them were asleep under a tree. The hole, which is improperly signposted with
warning signs or tape, is on a busy road where there is a preschool. Motorists drive down the road at speed, delivering and fetching their children from the school. The hole is deep enough to cause some quite serious damage to a car, and it blocks both sides of the road. Slightly further up the street is another hole in the road, blocking half of it. This poses an access difficulty for the residents living there, and is a potential accident waiting to happen. Surely there should have been better warning signs? The residents, who are not very happy, were disappointed with the efforts being made.
Just a Reminder of what your Precinct is all about WHAT DOES YOUR PATROL VEHICLE DO FOR YOU?
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PCN 4 July 2012
The InnKeepers From director Ti West comes The Innkeepers. Set in the venerable Yankee Pedlar Inn, which is about to shut its doors for good after over a century of service. Believed by many to be one of New England's "most haunted hotels," the last remaining employees -Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy)- are determined to uncover proof before it shuts down for good. As the Inn's final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage "ghost hunters" begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel's long unexplained history.
HEAT RATING: 8
Directed By: Ti West Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy and Kelly McGillis
Method 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Coat the oxtail pieces in flour, heat half the oil in a pan and brown the oxtail pieces in batches Set aside Heat the remaining oil in the same pan Sauté onion and garlic, return the oxtail to the pan and add tomatoes, KNORR Fresh Ideas Hearty Beef Stew, water, wine, thyme and bay-leaves Simmer for 2-3 hours or until oxtail is tender Serve with meilie meal, mashed potato or rice and delicious veggies
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July 6th 2012 Motorsport - F1: British Grand Prix Practice Session 1 Basketball - Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament, QF 1 Rugby - Vodacom Super Rugby, Week 20 - The Sharks v Vodacom Bulls July 7th 2012 Rugby - Vodacom Super Rugby, Week 20 - Waratahs v Brumbies Cricket - Eng Cricket - Natwest Series, England v Australia 4th ODI Motorcycling - MotoGP:, Grand Prix Of Motorrand Deutschland Qualifying Practice Cycling - Tour De France, Stage 7 - Tomblaine / La Planche Des Belles Filles 199 Km July 8th 2012 Cricket - Sl Cricket - Test Series, Sri Lanka v Pakistan 3rd Test Day 1 Tennis - Wimbledon, Day 13 - Mens Final Motorcycling - MotoGP:, Grand Prix Of Tt Assen Moto2, SS7 Golf - European Tour, Alstom Open De France Day 4
Win an awesome kids voucher from Santa Cruz Spur for you and your buddy to enjoy! Colour in the picture & Fill in the entry form with your name and number then put your entry in an envelope and drop it in the box attached to The PCN stand at either Pick ‘n Pay Sheridan Centre Farrarmere, Oakfields Pick ‘n Pay, Checkers Bonaero Shopping Centre, Spar Rynfield Terrace or Rebel Fruit & Veg Atlasville. Alternatively you can email it to info@thepcn.co.za. Don't lose heart if you are not a winner of the weekly draw, as all entries received during the
month will go into a further draw at the end of the month to win a voucher from Ster Kinekor Northmead Square for you and your buddy to go watch a movie with a snack combo. For children 12 years and younger.
NAME: __________________________ AGE:____________________________ CONTACT NUMBER:_______________
Sp ec im en on ly
PCN 4 July 2012
At a
cinema near you!
STERKINEKOR
Think like a man
Madagascar 3
Snow white & the huntsman
Mad Buddies
Courtesy of Ster Kinekor, JUNCTION
Northmead Square, Tel: 011 425 0137
Alexandra Burke has been keen to let the world and his mistress know that she's executive produced her second album, the follow-up to her post-X Factor debut Overcome. Given the record showed heaps of promise, not only does she have a mighty job on her hands, but the buck lies solely with her if she falls short of expectations.
Mad Buddies
The message is simple: to forget life's troubles and have a good time. Which would be fine, if the charts weren't already clogged up with similar affirmations to the same Euro-pop tune. Opener and title track'Heartbreak on Hold' lays it out easily enough, while current single 'Let It Go' succeeds in being insanely addictive despite its obvious generic chart traits.
Leon Schuster
HEAT RATING: 7
Separating Burke from her contemporaries is her voice, which soars effortlessly over big, club-thumping anthems 'This Love Will Survive' and 'Sitting on Top of the World'. Though you'd be forgiven for mistaking her for a Kelly Llorenna type on the heavily Auto-Tuned and cliché-ridden 'Fire' ("Nothing can cool me down/ Not how I feel right now") and 'Oh La La', which even borrows a bit from Crystal Waters's club classic 'Gypsy Woman'.
Kenneth Nkosi
Alfred Ntombela
Director: Gray Hofmeyr Cast: Alfred Ntombela,Kenneth Nkosi,Leon Schuster,Tanit Phoenix
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One of the most eagerly awaited theatrical releases of 2012, Leon Schuster’s Mad Buddies stars the SA-funny man as one half of a duo of sworn enemies who are forced to spend more time together than they would like, but who ultimately find a reason to band together because of it.
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Boetie (Leon Schuster) and Beast (Kenneth Nkosi) are two chaps with bad blood between them. However, when efforts at one-upmanship lead to their arrest they are given a simple choice by ambitious TV exec Kelsey (Tanit Phoenix): Rot in jail or set off cross-country on a 500km walking road trip to Johannesburg. The pair hits the road begrudgingly, each determined not to help the other in any way, shape or form. However, when it becomes apparent that they’ve been conned by Kelsey who had a hidden agenda for bringing them together, they decide to put aside their mutual hatred of each other in order to get their revenge.
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PCN 4 July 2012
It's Trucking Awful! Restoration Going By Philip Allebone Residents on the corner of Maalstroom Street and Kei Road in Farramere are disgusted with the attitude and problems surrounding the use of the road (Maalstroom) as a loading zone for the Farramere Shopping Centre. The trucks block the narrow road and make it difficult or even impossible for residents to get in and out of their driveways. A local business there is losing clients as
a result of the trucks, as the clients have problems getting in and out, and there is a risk of accidents due to obstructed views and cars needing to jockey around the trucks. “Not only that,” said one resident, “but they have damaged the storm drain, which is now wholly blocked, and every time it rains my garden floods and all the water from the road goes into my swimming pool.”
Classic Cars By Philip Allebone If you are a fan of cars and bikes, then the place that you should have been was Alberton on Sunday 1st July, as the Classic Cars car show was on and it was fun for anyone that has an appreciation of vehicles that are fantastic. And fantastic the vehicles were, from the old to the new, all gleaming in the sunlight, and the roar of their engines was music to the ears.
The show boasted not only cars, but also plenty of stuff for the rest of the family, with stalls to shop at and browse through, so there was something for everyone. Nevertheless it was the cars that were the focus, and they were something that was worth going to see. This is an annual event, so if you missed this one, make sure you are prepared for the next.
Swimmingly? By Philip Allebone
T
he promises that have been made about the cleaning up of the swimming pool in Benoni came under scrutiny recently as DA council members went to inspect the progress of the work. As summer is around the corner, now is the time to get the ball rolling, and we were invited to join the councillors to inspect the site. Rather sadly we have to report that nothing has been done. The grass is weed choked, even though it is winter, and the place is filthy. Rubbish has been thrown over the wall that adjoins the bowling club and lies rotting in the road. Broken fixtures are scattered around and the pool equipment lies degrading in the sun. The pool itself is a disgrace, the little water left is septic and nasty. Allegedly the promises were made in meetings and minuted by the councillors in charge, and that there had been money set aside to do the work. Yet now there is no budget and there has been no work done at all. This is a particular point of sensitivity for a number of reasons, of course, as not too far back the whole area in front of the pool was cleaned up and beautified, and the place was made suitable for the public and school use. Since then it has fallen back to the condition it was in before. The other reason for the sensitivity is the fact that the pool is needed by a number of schools in the area for their sports training, which is a vital part of the development and education of the youngsters, but it is certainly unfit for such use. The youth, then, are not the priority that we were led to believe at all, according to what we were told by the councillors. This is a sore point, also because the building
is a historical part of Benoni, having been opened in 1935, and is actually a beautiful old structure that should be something that Benoni can be proud of and speak of as a landmark. We couldn’t help but notice that the pool has a tuck shop structure – the perfect place for a small business to be run in summer – and is a lovely place for the whole family to spend a day. The result is that there is opportunity being lost here too. Hopefully something will happen soon, before the summer arrives, and we can again be proud of this elegant old building and enjoy the pleasures of the sun and the water in summer. “This is shocking,” said Allan Sauls, the Da shadow MMC for SHRAK, “It is very disappointing that a community asset is run down to a state like this.” Melanie Haggard, the DA PR ward councillor to Ward 73 was disgusted that there, “have been a lot of promises made by the people who were to do it up.”
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PCN 4 July 2012
Please Flush? By Philip Allebone
Complaints have come in about the state of the dam on the corner of High Road and Pomona Road, which, we were told, is reeking and befouled. Going out to have a look, we found that this is indeed so, and the reason that this is the case is a drainage manhole that is spewing sewerage out into the dam. Toilet paper and worse are lying by the drainage, and the stench is well beyond ripe. While we were examining the site, we noticed a few trucks parked nearby, and we went over to see what they were up to. It transpires that the trucks belonged to a company that professionally inspects, cleans and repairs piping, and was employed to clear the problem. The man on the site explained that the problem is in fact twofold. The first problem
BCP
that is faced is the deterioration of the existing pipes, which we are told are cracking and letting their water get into the spruit. The second problem is that the pump house that services the piece of the dam and keeps the water separated cannot cope with the groundwater as it stands, and so the excess is allowed to get out the manholes. We asked a passing local how long the sewerage had been pouring out of the manhole, and we were told that it was about six months or so, and therefore the response to the issue must be to fix the pipes – which is being done – and to upgrade the pump house so that it can cope with the water volumes that happen when the rains come. Hopefully the result will be that the sewerage no longer spews into the lake, and the old toilet paper and worse will be cleaned up from this pretty site. This is an annual event, so if you missed this one, make sure you are prepared for the next.
FREE cellphone panic buttons for all CMS clients
Fantastic Forensics By Philip Allebone
To apply today Send an email to cellrescue@cmssa.co.za or go to www.cmssa.co.za Scroll down & click on the CELLRescue logo to apply online
BE PREPARED
All CMS clients can give their entire family a panic button on their cellphones that intelligently connects directly to CMS. Take it, it's free on application!
KNOW INSTANTLY The system automatically sends sms messages to whoever you choose to alert at the same time as you speed-dial 5 on your cellphone. This extra sms notifications module is offered as additional functionality for a small monthly fee and is optional.
Announcement cellRESCUE rewards CONNECTED clients If you signed up for the free basic cellRESCUE service as well as the SMS Notifications module of cellRESCUE, you are CONNECTED! When you sign up for SMS NOTIFICATIONS, every cellphone number you have specified is entered into a Monthly Draw and you could win the amazing monthly prize. Winners announced in the first week every month.
For most of us, we only get to glimpse the inside world of the police on rather bad American TV programs, and so it was with great fascination that I took a trip to the Springs Forensics Laboratory to see what they did there and how they fitted into the whole scheme of things in an investigation. The police are not one great homogenous group, despite what it may seem, and the different departments have very specific tasks that they fulfil. The task, in short, that the forensics has is to provide proof that a given person was in a specific location at a specific time. Now this appears to be a rather narrow description, but if you think about it, it is the most critical point of all in a criminal investigation. The Lab that I was visiting has a particular specialisation in fingerprints, and yes, even within the forensics department, there are departments that specialise. The system they use is AFIS, just like on CSI – the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System, which uses a huge database of collected fingerprints that they will then compare a suspect’s prints to and see if they have further criminal charges or convictions to their name. The other thing that they do with your prints, of course, is use them to compare to prints from the scene and then testify in court that you were indeed there, and hence the Investigating Detective, who is not from their department, would be able to follow up on why you were there and what you were doing there. The department is a quiet place, with most of the technicians out on scenes all the time, and they are clearly run off their feet trying to keep up with the demand for their services, despite the fact that they are underequipped for handling so many jobs and are often in need of more materials and resources to process scenes (you would be amazed at how much stuff is needed to gather prints even at ONE scene, and as for the cost
of the stuff...). The Colonel in charge of the Branch, an intense man with a humorous look in his eye, told me that they are always rushing from place to place, “Not only must we gather the evidence, but we do not have the facilities here to process all of it on site, and we use another branches Laboratory for certain things, and that can take time.” He also confirmed to me that yes, like on CSI, they do use luminal, but that happy spraying of it that they do in the movies is not so true – “You learn to use it carefully, as it can be over a thousand rand for just two litres.” Costs and work problems aside, it was very apparent to me that these are men and women that love their work, and they are clearly very good at it, and it could be said that without them, nearly no criminal case would ever stand up in court, as it is one of the first things that a prosecutor has to prove; that a suspect was indeed present on the scene at the time stipulated. Quiet and intense they may be, but they should not also be unnoticed – they make sure that justice is served in nearly every case that there is, and they provide the means that the detectives use to take their cases to court. They deserve the recognition for what they do. As for me, now that I am an expert, the next time I watch CSI I shall be highly critical!As for me, now that I am an expert, the next time I watch CSI I shall be highly critical!
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Crime snippets
These are a few snippets of just some of the crimes that have been reported in the last week:
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Crime Statistics
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June 2012