By Confidente Reporter
THE Windhoek City Police has recorded over 1 700 incidents of house robberies since January, an alarming situation that calls for increased safety measures by homeowners.
Statistics by the municipal police shows that there has been a total of 1 773 cases of house robberies with 242 recorded in January, 261 in February and 273 in March. The cases rose to 280 in April during the long weekend of Easter but remained relatively high in May at 225. Another 248 incidents were recorded in June while 244 were recorded in July.
The startling figures officials say are a clear indication that burglars are determined to get into homes and as such homeowners equally have to be determined to keep them out by putting in place various security measures.
“In the period starting January, the house break-ins were relatively low but started picking up as we approached the middle of the year. In May, the numbers decreased but slightly increased again. The high number of house break-ins during April could be a result of the Easter long weekend where a lot of people travelled out of town leaving some houses unattended,” said City Police’s Constable Fabian Amukwelele in the Public and Community Relations department.
Amukwelele said that most of the house robberies are committed in informal settlements during the day when most residents are most likely to be out of their homes at either school or work. “This could be attributed to the fact that these houses do not have secure locks thus causing vulnerability to house break-ins.”
He advised that it is imperative for homeowners to know these statistics so that they can prep their homes to be safe in their absence. “It is advised that homeowners take extra precaution on the safety of their homes by securing their homes with quality padlocks, closing all windows, having an alarm system connected, and informing neighborhood watch groups when they leave for holiday amongst other precaution measures.”
City Police has also raised concern over the increase solar panel thefts, with a syndicate targeting mostly the Brakwater area. The solar panels once stolen are normally sold to individuals who own shebeens in informal areas.
Nearly two weeks ago, City Police arrested three burglars when they were caught selling stolen solar panels worth N$40 000 in Katutura. The suspects when questioned revealed that they had stolen the items from Elisenhein in the Brakwater area and were going to sell each solar panel for N$6 000. They were charged for being in possession of stolen items and the owner has since opened a case of theft against them.
“We would like to urge the public, farm owners and especially residents in Brakwater to be on the lookout.”