A SIMILAR MODUS OPERANDI

THE Cesma (Cowies Estate Community Crime Watch) Neighbourhood Watch’s Karen Rundle said this was the third time in recent months that house robbers had forced their victims to drive them to Clermont.

Nicola Meeding, also from the group, said crime was out of hand. “I think there have been about 17 house robberies since about October last year.”

Rundle said the assailants used a similar modus operandi.

“There are usually between three and six guys and they’re usually all armed and wearing balaclavas,” she said.

“They always ask for the same things – cash, cellphones, jewellery and TVs.”

Rundle said it was not uncommon for them to spend between two and three hours ransacking a home. Meeding said the community was “on its own”.

She and Rundle often patrolled at night, she said, and sometimes they did not see one police car on the roads.

She pleaded with police management to deploy more resources. “Before the community takes things into their own hands,” she said.

Meeding also said police needed to introduce different shifts because criminals targeted people during their shift changeovers.

Both Meeding and Rundle urged the community to get more involved.

They encouraged residents to be active on their neighbourhood watch WhatsApp groups.