As residents in the Laudium and Erasmia area desperately seek ways of protecting themselves and their properties from the ongoing crime in the area, so too are criminals planning on how to gain entry into places where extra security is implemented.
One of the latest and growing trends in the area to keep criminals away, is the rapid increase of neighborhoods being gated, thus giving residents a sense of safety, as there is controlled access into the area. However, criminals are finding new ways to get into the gated areas and this is causing residents living in these areas stress, as they again fear falling victim to crime. A number of residents living in the new gated areas in Laudium have told the Laudium Sun said that criminals are still getting through the gates by various devious methods, including by lying their way to security guards at the gates and then breaking-into their houses or cars. In one of the recent incidents that frightened a resident living in the gated area of Taj Street, Khatija Mohamed was in
panic mode when she noticed a strange car making rounds next to her house, last Tuesday afternoon, (July 23) at around 4pm. Khatija explained what transpired to the Laudium Sun, “It was around 4pm in the afternoon and I was returning from my doctor’s appointment. As I was approaching my house I saw a blue BMW going up the street and as I got closer to my house the car came back towards my direction at a slow pace. I immediately locked my myself inside my car and parked by my driveway while informing the security company deployed on our streets about this car because I did not know their intentions and I was not familiar with the car, as I know everyone’s car in this street. The car then proceeded to go towards the direction of the schools and I followed the car. However, all of a sudden I couldn’t see the car anymore. It was clear to me that whoever was in the car did not want to be seen and that is why they quickly drove away or were hiding somewhere. The reason why I was suspicious about that blue BMW was the pace at which the driver was driving, the car had hazards on and the people in the car looked like they were actually scouting for something. To add to my suspicions, I have read many times in the Laudium Sun about a BMW being involved in many of the crime incidents and in today’s times one has
to be extra vigilant. I want to warn all residents even those living in these new gated areas to still be vigilant as thieves will always look at new methods to steal. Just like we plan to protect ourselves, they also plan, but on how to get inside our homes. When I enquired from the security guards of Khans Security, I was told that three black males who were in the blue BMW, told them that they were looking for house number 192 on Taj Str. Security guard, Solomon Kekana told the Laudium Sun “I found it strange as house number 192 Taj Str is at the top part of Taj Str and there is an exit that side and apart from that these guys could see the house numbers increasing, but they still went on and on. My colleagues on the top side did not even see them passing, so I don’t know where they went.”