Residents in Ward 61 are now extremely fed up with the ongoing crime in the area despite the local CPF collecting monies from the community, to patrol the area.
Regarded by many as mere toothless ‘glorified car guards,’ the area has once more been the target of another motor vehicle theft, within one week. What is more worrisome is that the theft occurred in a gated street area, while the ANC’s Cllr Naeem Patel and CPF Chair Shaheen Wahab are still ‘supporting’ the security company hired to guard these gates.
This follows a white Toyota Corolla Cross, (Reg no. LX 77 YD GP), being stolen in front of a house situated in a gated street area on Himalaya Street, Laudium. The theft, which occurred this past Sunday evening (Nov 16) at around 7:30pm, has left residents in the area furious, as the two thieves, believed to be African males, carried out their criminal act in the presence of security guards at the gate.
Azima Mehar, the owner of the stolen White Toyota Corolla Cross, told the Laudium Sun, “I was inside my house when the theft of our car occurred. At that time, my father and my uncle had just gone for prayers and the car was parked outside in front of our house. When my father and uncle returned from the prayer, they noticed that the car was no longer where it had been parked. Panic set in immediately and we all started calling everyone we could think of and searching the area, with the hope of finding our car, but as time went by, it became clear that our car was nowhere to be found and that it had been stolen. I then checked the CCTV footage and saw that the car had in fact been stolen. The footage showed two unknown African looking males tampering with the vehicle and eventually driving it away. This happened despite the fact that our house is in a gated street area with security guards stationed at the entrance, which is not far from our house. We pay monthly fees for these gates and security services to protect our homes and property, but it seems that this money is going to waste. How is it possible that in a gated area, with all the gates closed and a security guard on duty, no one noticed two thieves entering the area, breaking into our car and to top it all driving off with our car, without any intervention or even a call from the guards that our car had just been stolen. Clearly, there was a breach and this raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the security guards in our area. It is time for the gated committee which manages these security services, to take responsibility for this failure. Crime in our area has become overwhelming and the current street gate system is failing to protect residents. We trusted that paying for security would ensure our safety, but incidents like this show that more needs to be done. Losing a vehicle in such circumstances is not only financially damaging, but also emotionally stressful, especially knowing that proper security measures were supposed to prevent exactly this kind of crime. The residents of the area feel frustrated and vulnerable, as this incident demonstrates that even a gated community with security personnel is not immune to theft. Most in the community are now questioning the reliability of the existing security infrastructure. If anyone notices or has information about our stolen car, we urge them to contact us immediately. It is crucial that the authorities and the security management organization take this matter seriously, investigate the breach and implement stronger measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.”
Neighbour of Azima, Aaliya Thayab of Himalaya Street, told the Laudium Sun, “My father was in the yard and saw two Black guys in front of the house where the car was later stolen. At the time, my father thought they might have come to visit someone, so he went inside the house. Later, when we heard about the theft, we realized that the two guys standing in front of the house might have been the ones who stole the car. This theft is very concerning, especially because car thefts are increasing rapidly, even in a gated area where residents expect higher security. It is alarming that such criminal activities can take place openly in front of our homes, without anyone noticing or intervening. The presence of security guards at the gates is supposed to ensure the safety of residents and their property, yet in this case the guards failed to act or even notice the suspicious individuals.”
Mohammed Ameen, also of Himalaya Street, told the Laudium Sun, “The security guards at the gate and this entire gating system are completely useless. Despite their presence, there have been numerous car thefts and other criminal activities in the area. It is so frustrating to realize that even with guards stationed at the gates, residents continue to face crime on a regular basis. We pay monthly fees for these security services, expecting protection and safety, yet it seems the money is going to waste. The guards are unprofessional and often inactive or unaware of what is happening around them, which allows criminals to operate freely in what is supposed to be a secure, gated area. It is time for the residents of Laudium to wake up and recognize that we are being fooled. The gates and security system are not serving the intended purpose and accountability is urgently needed. Action must be taken to address these ongoing failures before more residents fall victim to theft and criminal activity.”
