Vehicle theft, hijackings plague Mondeor

Vehicle theft, theft out of vehicles, hijackings and house robberies continue to plague  the suburb of Mondeor in the south of Johannesburg.

According to the Mondeor community policing forum (CPF), an average of 30 criminal cases are reported at the Mondeor police station each week.

On Tuesday, a courier company vehicle was hijacked outside a private school and two house robberies were reported to the police.

According to the school owner, who didn’t want her school or her name divulged for fear of being targeted, said the courier driver had just delivered a parcel to one of her teachers.

“On returning to his vehicle, he was approached by unknown men who pushed him into the back of the vehicle and sped off. I immediately pressed the panic button and within minutes police were on the scene,” she said.

Mondeor CPF chairperson Mike Fontes said with the relaxation of lockdown regulations, it is expected people will be leaving their homes and moving around more and criminals have also become more active.

Fontes however played down claims that there might be a gang or syndicate operating in the area.

“All house robberies and crime follow the same modus operandi ... They either jump the wall or force your gate open to gain entry. All they will take is flat screen TVs, laptops and cellphones ... but crime in the area is very low compared to other areas,” he said.

He said they work with more than 200 patrollers who volunteer their time.

“So far we have enjoyed great support from the community and business.

“We can always use more volunteers. If you want to help the CPF, you do not have to be a community patroller because there are various roles. You can get involved in fundraising, management, administration, or even victim support,” Fontes said.

Fontes said they have a good relationship with the SAPS and Joburg Metro Police to improve service delivery.

“There is community patroller and training programme in which we participate in co-operation with the SAPS,” said deputy chairperson Michelle Pelser.

“We need to make sure our community is looked after and run numerous programmes, such as Seniors on the Go along with the domestic watch, first aid, and fire fighting.

“Security companies also play an important role so we meet with them once a week to check if everything is in order in the neighbourhood,” said Pelser.

Fidelity ADT national spokesperson Charnel Hattingh said they work closely with several neighbourhood watches and community organisations across the country.

“An extensive licence plate recognition camera initiative between Fidelity ADT, the Mondeor SAPS and Mondeor CPF is one example of what has been put in place to disrupt potential criminal activity in the area,” Hattingh said.

She said the technology identifies and recognises vehicles suspected of being involved in crimes when they are in the area and sends out an instant alert.

“This not only assists SAPS and law enforcement in locating vehicles suspected or confirmed of being involved in crime, but allows our teams on the ground to respond proactively and immediately,” she said.

“The strength of the community lies in the commitment of each and every individual. Communities that stand together and work with law enforcement and private security companies will be safer, and they will see success in the fight against crime,” she added.

Mondeor police station spokesperson Nokulunga Dube refused to speak on the matter and referred all enquiries to provincial spokesperson Capt Mavela Masondo. Masondo also had failed to respond by the time of publication.

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