Despite more and more ‘vagrants’ seen on Laudium streets, the police and CPF are yet to formulate a plan on how to address the issue, more so as many of these vagrants, more commonly known as nyaopes, are suspected of being involved in petty crime in the area.
This follows yet more crime in the Laudium area, suspected to be carried out by certain of the nyaopes, with one of the recent crimes reported to the Laudium Sun, having taken place the previous Thursday night at around 10pm.
In this incident, two Black African males are suspected of stealing two 19kg gas cylinder tanks and a gazebo from the yard of Seema Pillay, on 13th Ave, Laudium. Seema told the Laudium Sun, “I was inside my house on Thursday evening when I suddenly heard a strange noise in my yard at around 10pm that night. However, I didn’t give it much thought as it was late and dark and I didn’t want to go outside, so I left it, thinking it might be a noisy car passing by. When I went into my yard in the morning, I was shocked to find that two of our 19kg gas cylinder tanks and one gazebo were missing from my yard. That is when I realized that the items must have been stolen the previous night, when I heard the strange noise in my yard. When I later asked my neighbours if they had seen anyone suspicious outside our house, one of my neighbours said to me that they saw two Black African males hanging around our gate, but didn’t think much of it. So, I suspect that these guys were the thieves who stole the cylinder tanks and the gazebo. Crime in our area has increased so much that now we literally cannot leave anything in our yard. It is very worrying and stressful, especially for families who are just making ends meet and trying to go about their daily lives. The number of thefts in our area seems to have risen dramatically over the past few months and it has become clear that better protection and security are urgently needed as we cannot rely on the police as much as we should. People in our community are scared and the sense of safety that we once had has disappeared. Many residents now feel they must invest in security systems, cameras, or even private guards just to protect their homes. It is exhausting and so unfair that we have to take such extreme measures simply to safeguard our properties. These thieves are walking freely on our streets and it seems that they have this attitude of just stealing anything they want, as they believe that they will not be caught. The community needs support from the police and our leaders. We cannot live our lives in constant worry that someone will break in, steal, or damage our property. It is stressful for everyone, especially the elderly and families who cannot afford advanced security measures. Something must be done to ensure our safety and reduce the crime that has become so common in Laudium.”
said that thieves are walking freely on the
streets with the attitude of stealing anything as they do not believe that they will be caught.
M. Moonsamy of 13th Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “This situation is really bad as a lot of crime is happening in our area, despite having the gating system in place. Criminals are running their syndicates openly, making residents feel like we are living in a jail. It is so frightening and stressful for everyone, especially families with children and the elderly. Residents do not even feel safe leaving their homes or going outside without worrying that they might be targeted. The street gates which were supposed to provide security, do not seem to be enough to stop these criminals. The situation has worsened to the point where residents feel trapped in their own houses and constantly have to be on guard. The lack of effective policing and proper security measures have left the community vulnerable. As residents, we are doing our best to look after each other, but that is not enough to combat organized criminal behaviour. I think as a community we are failing because no one is taking strong steps to address the rising crime in Laudium. The police, the CPF and local Councillors must intervene urgently to restore safety and security. Without proper action, residents will continue to live in fear and the crime rate will keep increasing. The community
deserves to feel safe, to walk freely and to allow their children to play without fear. It is not just about property; it is about dignity, peace of mind and the right to live safely in our own neighbourhood.”
on the job. Photo sent by a reader, taken at the Himalaya Str gated post.