Observatory Community

Riding down Polo Road (13:10 Wed 29 Jul) past Donne Street an Observatory resident  noticed a tall black man peering over a wooden fence. Being alerted she parked her car at her home in Scott Road, collected a ONW 2-way radio and investigated the matter. Peering through the fence she saw the man at the parked vehicle inside the property and radioed the patrol coordinator for assistance.

He immediately radioed for SAPS and ADT to attend to the scene but only ADT responded. The Woodstock Police Shift Officer was notified via cell to despatch a vehicle and to check down Rochester for the suspect. We checked the premises but the suspect had already left with a brass tap and a piece of copper pipe. Water was gushing from the broken pipe, 2 CD covers were found discarded on the ground. The car and home were fortunately not tampered with.

On the neighbouring property the ADT Armed Response Officer(Mr Appels) checked and found a water trace leading over the rear property wall where the house alarm had already sounded. The perpetrator presumably left via Polo to the Main Road and was out of sight by the time patrol coordinator looked there. The home owner incidentally arrived to assess the home and  the water was shut down.

Two SAPS vehicles arrived after their search and the one (SW38) with Oupa (Const Luzipo), back from his month leave carried out the necessary formalities. The Observatory Neighbourhood Watch (ONW) member left to collect her grand children in Woodstock and radioed a little while later that she had seen the perpetrator on Main Road near Salt River Nedbank.

SAPS SW38 was again alerted, the assailant progressing to Shoprite, down Aberdeen and Plein Street was then lost out of sight. She alerted the personnel of a parked SAPS vehicle in Albert Road who made a radio contact on her ONW radio to SW38 and then began blue light beaming search into the area, then finding the suspect in Cavendish Road. The perpetrator was apprehended by SW38 in possession of the stolen copper pipe and other items he had gathered along the way.

The ONW member, in remote to the suspect, was able to positively confirm the suspect who was then booked into Woodstock Station and will be charged accordingly.