Shop owner aids bike thieves’arrest

Ami Muller, George:

I would like to report a heroic story of how members of the public and the George police worked together efficiently to get a bike thief cuffed. Read article elsewhere.

On Tuesday morning, 18/7/17 at around 9am, I got a call from the owner of the bike shop "SuidKaap Fietse", Mr Barry Scholtz, wanting to know if my child's bike was still in our possession.

Two men rode the bike to his shop and attempting to sell the bike to him which he repaired a few months earlier. As he didnt have cash with him then, he sent them away asking them to return later that morning when he might have some.

The shop assistant Andries had also recognised the bike and managed to take snapshots of the bike and its sellers. After I realised the bike was stolen from our back stoep, I wasted no time to make a report at the local police station. The police officer immediately notified the patrolling team in town about the stolen bike. While I was still filling in the forms, Mr Barry Scholtz called to say the thieves had been caught by the police (led by Mr Botha) on their way back to his shop. Our child's bike was returned and its damages repaired.

Even as we were shocked at the theft, we had to commend the brilliant services rendered by both Saps and Mr Barry Scholtz and his staff. Their care, concern for justice and apt responses all worked together to bring about goodwill and peace in our town. This is truly a good example of how crime ought not to be tolerated in our town and how we as public can truly work together with one another and the police force to help fight crime.