The Laudium/Erasmia area certainly seems to be experiencing a marked increase in crime, regarding both petty crime and more serious crimes, with residents being attacked in their homes by gun wielding thugs, on the rise.
Whilst police remain silent on solutions as to how they plan to tackle the ever increasing crime wave facing the community, now more so as we approach the festive season, residents remain in the dark as to how many crimes are being committed in the area and the arrest and prosecution rate linked to the said crimes. As reported many times before, Police and the Social Departments, seem to have no plan in place as to how to tackle the massive influx of unemployed people coming from outside areas into this area, desperately looking for food and money to support themselves and their families living in outer areas of Laudium and Erasmia. Unfortunately, some of those who sleep on the corners of the Laudium CBD or in the parks, have turned to drugs and walk the streets of Laudium, looking for opportunities to steal so as to satisfy their addictive needs. Thus, locals continue to experience an increase in petty crime, with yet another case of car battery theft reported. Laudium resident, Abdul Sattar Aboo, of Emerald Street described to the Laudium Sun, the events that led to the discovery of the theft of his vehicle battery. “I have a Quantum bakkie that I use for my business. On Thursday at around 10 in the morning, it was parked outside my yard, as we were busy taking out the stock intended for delivery for that day. After we were done loading the stock onto the bakkie, I got into the bakkie to drive away. However, I was shocked that my bakkie just did not want to start. It was completely dead. I thought perhaps the battery cable was loose, so I opened the bonnet to check, but to my shock the battery was missing, gone! We were most of the time in the yard and we only went into the house to have some tea, which was a mere few minutes. The gate of the yard was open because we were busy in the yard and did not think that it was a security risk. It was not even long that we went into the house. The guys who stole the battery were very fast as it was within minutes, when we were inside the house. I think it was someone who was watching us. We immediately checked if we could see anyone on the street running away or so, but there was no one. Besides, we live on a busy street and cars are passing by all the time on Emerald Street, so I just can’t understand how these thieves got away without being noticed. I think they either came with a car or they hid somewhere nearby, until matters cooled down. I’m really shocked. I hope the police will do their job and catch these guys. We definitely need more police patrols in the area. We are certainly not safe living in Laudium any longer. That is why so many people who can afford it are moving out. We can’t live like this with anyone able to walk into our yards and steal whatever they want and then just get away with it.”
Sergeant Simon Chokoe, spokesperson of the Laudium Police, said, “A case of theft has been opened and police are investigating the matter. No arrests have been made yet. I urge the community to come forward with any information that could help in arresting these culprits roaming our area. Working together we can do more to end crime.”
