Perdeby Tuks se amptelike studentekoerant / Official Tuks student newspaper / Kuranta ya baithuti ya semmušo ya Tuks
5March2012
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Series of thefts on campus
Tuks bicycle thief gets 18 months FRANCOIS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN On Monday 6 February two bicycles were reported stolen on Hatfield campus. The thief was caught on the surveillance cameras tampering with the combination lock of one of the bicycles, and then riding away on the stolen bicycle a few minutes later. The thief returned the following day and attempted to steal another bicycle, but an undercover security officer caught him in the act and arrested him. The culprit was not a Tuks student and managed to enter campus while it wasn’t necessary to swipe your student card at the turnstile gates. Mr Rowan Watson, Manager of Investigations at Campus Security, told Perdeby, “The thief was charged with attempted theft and trespassing.” Watson explained that
the thief admitted to having stolen two bicycles, as well as being a drug user. He reportedly stole the bicycles to “feed his habit”. The thief was sentenced to 18 months in prison by the Hatfield Community Court. Colin Fouché, Director of the Department of Security Services, encouraged students to use a U-lock when leaving their bicycles on campus, and stamp their student numbers on their bicycles. “Students are also urged not to open pedestrian gates for any person claiming to be a Tuks student, as this was how potential thieves gained access onto campus,” says Fouché. He explained that most crimes on campus are “opportunity crimes fostered by negligence”. Students who witness a crime can report it to the 24-hour Operational Centre on 012 420 2310/2760.
Photo: Kobus Barnard
Car stolen at Taaibos
AMY-MAE CAMPBELL
On Wednesday 15 February, a room in the men’s residence Taaibos was broken into and a car stolen from the parking lot. According to Brandon van Zyl, his roommate notified him that their room door and cupboards had been broken open and his car was missing from the parking bay. His keys and car were stolen, along with other valuables. The room was unoccupied from 10:00-12:00 that morning. When campus security arrived, all security systems were still fully functional and there was also no sign of a possible entry point, other than the swipe-in door. A formal case has been opened and a SAPS investigator appointed. However, the vehicle has not yet been recovered and the identities of the trespassers are still unknown. Taaibos Chairperson, Curtis Loehmer, said that this was the first break-in and car theft incident during his time in Taaibos. “It seemed as though the guys who did it
knew what they were doing, as it was a wellplanned break-in,” Loehmer added. Colin Fouché, Director of Security Services, emphasized that safety within the residential area is a collective effort and that students must also ensure that the access electronic security systems already in place are not overcome by swiping strangers in, or lending their keys to friends. “Not all perpetrators are unregistered [and] people utilise information,” says Fouché . Fouché also advises students with cars to invest in a car tracking system and a gear-lock. Students in residences can also have a security safe installed in their rooms at a small cost. The Department of Security Services meets with the heads of residences every two weeks to evaluate safety and encourages students to report suspicious activity to their house parents or HKs in order to prevent similar incidents from occurring. Photo: Bonita Lubbe