23h05 RP. Two Bravo males wandering around in the Riverside Terrace area.
01h09 BN. Four unknown Bravo males running on the Fynbos pipetrack toward IY. Suspects pinged sensors in the ‘ravine’ and when lit with a torch took off running. Bokke NW respond. 01h42 Bokke stand down nothing found.
03h11 ADT3. Break-in at # River Walk Oakwood Country Est. Various personal goods liberated. Intruders unseen.
The three reports above may be linked.
12h28 Break-in earlier at ## Campbell, Scott Estate.
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Detailed Report by Neil Hendrikz
ReplyDeleteAt 01h09 Sensor 6 in the Upper ravine activated followed rapidly by Sensor 5 indicating inward traffic into the ravine from IY side of Bokkemanskloof Road properties along the back fence line. (Refer point 1)
On moving to observation point inside I had visually missed the incoming traffic but observed a head moving within bushes lower down the path on the Main Estate side (refer point 2). A flash of the torch up & down the pathway bushes resulted in intruders going to ground. I switched off the torch resulting in Sensor 5 being activated as the intruders back tracked upon which I caught 4 Bravo males in my torch light running back out of the ravine along the Bokkemanskloof Road fence line heading towards Blue Valley. ADT, DB, Bokke Guard, BKNW respond. Approximately 10 minutes later alarm activated in middle region of the Estate with dogs barking (refer point 3). At +- 02h15 alarm activated in lower Fynbos / Bokkemanskloof Close / Blue Valley area. ADT, who were still on the pipe track, respond
Review
Ironically I had returned from HBNW Sector meeting at 22h00, hearing crime statistics, intentions of HBNW, need for equipment for qualified response teams, the role of NW members (ears & eyes only) & the need for greater community participation
Point 1 .
If the intention of the Voice Alert sensors is to identify & deflect incoming traffic to the Estate & avoid a robbery, then this most certainly was achieved in a very positive way. Is there another intention, like catch them?
Point 2.
There is much debate regarding the relationship between the ESTATE Environment (bushes, forest) & Security (cleared / pruned zones). If it wasn’t for the fact that I precisely new of a small opening in the bushes that I could see a head if someone was walking down the path in question what would I have done if I had not seen a person? Woken the NW members by means of the radio? What would they have done? Was it a person or was it a dog, a cat, a porcupine? I guess I would have had no option but to leave it be in the hope that my home & my family were safe ( & only hope that others were also safe)
It is necessary to consider creating security zones or belts in high risk areas that enable visibility. The sensors tell you of a possible intruder. You can only confirm this by seeing them
Point 3.
If your alarm activated or your dogs were barking around 01h30 this morning and again at 02h15, then either someone was trying to get into your house or the same 4 were running through your property trying to escape from ADT, DB, Bokke Guard or BKNW. Scary …. Yes, Reality …. Yes. What are you going to do about this? Will you participate ?
I know what I & many others are doing but without far greater community participation we are at risk. It can no longer be “well others will deal with it”
If it wasn’t for the sensors & that small opening in the bushes along the pathway…………!!!
As someone suggested this morning, imagine if everyone on the Estate was sms’d this morning (all called on their radios ….. if we all had), switched on external lights across the Estate, flashed torches from their windows ……….. had other sensor clusters monitoring movement across the Estate………… I am sure late night visitors would think twice about coming to Bokkemanskloof
To Radio Holders : Should we have advised neighbouring communities (Disa & Meadows) of the incident ……….. if we had, then maybe the break in at # River Walk, Oakwood Country Estate and associated trauma could have been avoided