Proficient burglars can ransack an empty house in just two minutes, but thanks to a united front by Gonubie SAPS, the community, and private security, crime in Gonubie has plummeted nearly 50% in the past month.
According to Stats SA’s Victim of Crime report, released on Tuesday, crime levels in SA have surged with housebreaking/burglaries increasing by 4.6% — a reality that has manifested worryingly in Gonubie of late, as more homes are left unoccupied for long periods while owners are buying and selling or looking for tenants.
Burglaries are committed by a person who unlawfully breaks into a building with the intention to commit crime on the premises and in the last year and a half, a home on Bower Street that was unoccupied in the wake of the owner’s passing was completely ransacked.
Within two weeks all the valuables that could be sold for scrap including copper wiring, brass finishes, and cables, among other valuables, were removed and the rest of the house was completely vandalised.
This trend was rising in frequency within Gonubie, until Gonubie SAPS, Gonubie Protect, local security companies and the community came together armed with a camera network, WhatsApp, and increased patrols on garbage days, to put an end of the spate of burglaries of unoccupied homes.
This collaboration has seen reported crime incidents to Gonubie SAPS decrease by 50% between mid-July and mid-August which has earned Gonubie SAPS detective services a commendation for July.
A recent housebreaking incident in Gonubie resulted in the theft of two laptops, a wedding band, and other jewellery from a property. After receiving the report, Gonubie Protect was able to identify and track the suspect, who was known to them, using their camera network.
The suspect’s movements were traced by four cameras until he was picked up by a taxi on 12th Avenue, approximately 500m from the crime scene.
The footage identifying the suspect was shared on a community WhatsApp group, and within 24 hours, Gonubie SAPS located and arrested him in the Gonubie township.
Faced with overwhelming evidence, the suspect admitted to the crime and led authorities to the location where the wedding band and jewellery were hidden, which were subsequently recovered.
The suspect also directed authorities to the East London CBD, where he had sold the laptops, both of which were retrieved.
The suspect remains in custody and will appear in court shortly.
SAPS Eastern Cape spokesperson Col Hazel Mqala said that crime in Gonubie is effectively being fought because of the good relationship between the Gonubie SAPS and the community.
Mqala said: “Gonubie police are already exercising such good relations, even extending their services to the far end of their policing area, which is Cintsa.
“Members are being deployed on certain days of the week for service delivery and crime awareness is conducted to local schools. The station commander is always present during when services the community.
“These developments have enabled the SAPS to target Gonubie’s predominant crimes, which are residential burglaries, alcohol-related gender-based violence, and fraudulent schemes targeting the elderly.
“Residential burglary is caused by non-reporting of the owners’ long absence from the property to the police. Owners also leave their windows open for their pets and in that way, invite criminals to break in.
“These burglaries also enable the theft of copper pipes, which has forced Gonubie SAPS to increase monitoring of compliance at scrap yards and second-hand shops.”
Gonubie Protect is assisting SAPS in actively expanding its CCTV camera network to monitor all streets and avenues in Gonubie for the identification and tracking of suspects, as demonstrated in a recent housebreaking case where stolen items were successfully recovered within 24 hours.
As a non-profit organisation, Gonubie Protect relies on community donations and support from local businesses like Gonubie SuperSpar, Astron Garage Gonubie, Gonubie Shell Garage, and Car Connection to sustain its patrols and keep residents informed through social media.
Ward councillor Valerie Knoetze highlighted that Gonubie faces frequent house break-ins, petty theft, vandalism, and issues related to public intoxication and drunk driving, with around 30 incidents occurring monthly.
She noted that factors like feeding schemes, which draw individuals to the area, and the lack of nighttime police visibility, contribute to the prevalence of crime.
The reduction in crime, achieved through collaboration between Gonubie SAPS, Gonubie Protect, and local response companies, has significantly improved the sense of safety in the community.
To maintain this progress, Knoetze emphasised the need for increased police visibility, particularly through stop-and-search operations and beach patrols to curb alcohol-related problems.
Red Alert are part of a few security companies who perform patrols with Gonubie Protect and Gonubie SAPS daily which has also contributed to the decrease in reported crime in the community.
Red Alert’s Brett Harvey said: “Residents play a key role in the fight against crime. They are our eyes and ears. Providing us with very important information so we can do our work.
“Whether it’s a crime in progress or just seeing something suspicious going on, so we can investigate the situation.”
