MARCH 2021 OVERVIEW
Though Harare remains the most active for crime incidents, crime in Midlands and Mashonaland East increased fourfold in the last month.
Greendale, Milton Park, and Borrowdale were the most active residential suburbs in the past month, whilst Msasa was the most active industrial area in Harare.
In Bulawayo, the City Centre, Steeldale, and Belmont have been the most active. In Bulawayo, there have been reports of smash and grab and theft from vehicle incidents with motorists urged to ensure that their vehicles are always locked when traveling.
*Please note, a majority of the incidents received by Safeguard are from the Harare province as the statistics below reflect.
NATIONWIDE AND HARARE CRIME STATS
CRIME BREAKDOWN BY MONTH
HIGH-RISK AREAS
*The above suburbs are listed in order of current vulnerability.
TARGETS
MODUS OPERANDI
Copper cable thefts remain a cause for concern nationwide with criminals removing as much as 400m of cable during theft incidents.
There have been reports of shots fired in several residential areas in the northern suburbs with two shots recently fired outside a residence in Greystone Park on the 1st of April 2021. Residents are urged to rather press their panic button in such an event as this could be a tactic by criminals to lure out residents.
SECURITY ALERTS
OUTLOOK
Before residential sites were the most vulnerable to robbery incidents but so far in 2021, criminals are targeting all sites, known to possess large amounts of money on site. The tobacco selling season is likely to result in an increase in robbery incidents in industrial areas as criminals target individuals known to have large amounts of money.
Crime preventative tip of the month: Ensure that you have functioning alarm sensors in your yard and in critical areas in your home/business premises. This includes but is not limited to the kitchen, the verandah, main/front and back entrances, and cash offices or executive management offices.
For a walk-through of your security at home or business, please do not hesitate to give Safeguard a call. Your safety is our priority.
Thank you for using Safeguard.
MARCH 2021 INCIDENT SUMMARIES
HARARE
Robbery
27 March 2021, 00:00, Robbery, Educational Institution, Emerald Hill – Eight armed suspects entered the premises and managed to blow up the strong room before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of money.
28 March 2021, Unknown time, Robbery, Fuel station, Harare (specific suburb undisclosed) – Six suspects held up the fuel attendants at gunpoint before blasting open the safe to steal an undisclosed amount of foreign currency.
11 March 2021, 01:49, Robbery, Residential Site, Stratford Drive, Greystone Park – Three male suspects entered the premises and tied up the residents. One of the residents was assaulted before the suspects took a cell phone, a wedding ring and some US dollar cash.
11 March 2021, 22:31, Robbery, Industrial Site, Unnamed Street, Tynwald – An alarm signal was received and a team was dispatched. The intruders, who were approximately ten in number, were hiding in a maize field and threw stones at the response vehicle, breaking the passenger window and the windscreen. The intruders vandalised the alarm system and broke into four offices and stole an undisclosed amount of cash. Dzivaresekwa Police attended the scene.
17 March 2021, 23:02, Attempted Robbery, Residential Site, Rhodesville Avenue, Greendale – An alarm signal was received and a team was dispatched. Upon arrival the met with the caretaker who said that five thieves entered the property armed with iron bars and catapults. The intruders tried to attack the caretaker with a catapult but missed and broke a dining room window. The intruders ran away when the alarm was triggered. Nothing was stolen and the case was not reported to the police.
Break in
1 March 2021, 06:50, Break in, Residential Site, Devizes Road, Cotswold Hills – An alarm sounded and a reaction team was dispatched. On arrival, the team saw intruders gained access by cutting the razor wire on top of the durawall. Nothing was reported stolen. Client requested that the matter be reported to the police.
3 March 2021, 06:48, Break in, Industrial Site, Unnamed Street, Msasa – A panic signal was received and a team was dispatched. Upon arrival they met an external guard who had pressed the panic button. He confirmed there had been a break in. The intruders forced open the kitchen door and then proceeded to force open the door which led to the warehouse. A gas tank, a gas plate and a CCTV monitor. The intruders left screwdriver and crowbar. Mabvuku Police attended the scene.
4 March 2021, 04:18, Break in, Residential Site, Lichfield Lane, Borrowdale – An unknown number of intruders attempted to break onto the property through an undisclosed access point but were disturbed by patrolling guards.
4 March 2021, 02:24, Break in, Residential Site, Whisper Road, Helensvale – An unknown number of intruders broke onto the premises through an undisclosed access point and stole several items.
8 March 2021, 08:04, Break in, Residential Site, Combermount Close, Borrowdale – An unknown number of intruders attempted to break onto the premises, no losses were reported.
9 March 2021,08:29, Break in, Residential Site, Beal Road, Belvedere North – A panic signal sounded and a reaction team was dispatched. Intruders removed a glass panel and removed an aluminum frame. However, they did not enter the premises according to the domestic worker.
9 March 2021, 04:25, Attempted Break-in, Residential Site, Natal Road, Mount Pleasant – Intruders tried to get in through a window. The motion sensors detected them, the alarm sounded and the intruders ran away. The case was reported to the police.
11 March 2021, 02:02, Break in, Commercial Site, Drummond Chaplin Street, Milton Park – An alarm signal was received and a team was dispatched. Intruders tried to dismount a television off of the wall through the boardroom window. However, they failed and they ran away when the alarm sounded. Milton Park Police attended the scene
12 March 2021, 15:15, Break in, Commercial Site, Palmer Road, Milton Park – A phone call was made a team was dispatched. The team noted that the cottage door had been forced open. However, nothing was stolen. Milton Park Police attended the scene.
14 March 2021, 01:17, Break in, Residential Site, Madokero Gardens, Madokero – A panic button was pressed and a team was dispatched. Upon arrival the team met with a tenant who said there had been intruders in her house, she believes the intruders gained access through the back door and they had stolen two cell phones, a tablet, and a satchel.
17 March 2021, 13:41, Break in, Commercial Site, Chambati Road, Glen Norah B – The client phoned in and said his store had a break-in. A reaction team was dispatched and upon arrival, they noted that intruders gained entry through the roof by removing the sheet and cutting some burglar bars. The case was reported to Glen Norah A Police
19 March 2021, 23:16, Break in, Residential Site, Cunningham Road, Greendale – An alarm sounded and a reaction team was dispatched. The team met with the client who said intruders cut a portion of razor wire on top of the durawall, then proceeded to cut the burglar bars in the lounge window. Nothing was stolen, the client declined police involvement.
21 March 2021, 02:16, Break in, Residential Site, Drummond Road, Greendale – Control room was called and a team was dispatched. An intruder broke the glass on the main door to gain entry. The intruder searched the house but was heard by the domestic worker and ran away empty-handed. The client said the alarm system was off. Police involvement was pursued.
22 March 2021, 02:06, Break in, Residential Site, Bates Street, Milton Park – An alarm activated, and a team was dispatched. Upon arrival, the team saw that intruders cut the burglar bars and stole a 32-inch TV. There were no individuals on-site when the incident occurred.
23 March 2021, 05:51, Break in, Residential Site, Mountbatten Drive, Marlborough – An alarm activated, and a team was dispatched. Upon arrival, the team met with the client who showed them that intruders made a hole in the laundry window near the handle. However, they could not cut the burglar bars. They ran away empty-handed when the alarm sounded.
23 March 2021, 00:38, Break in, Residential Site, Kinross Road, Alexandra Park – Two intruders armed with crowbars gained access into the premises and tried to get into the building by cutting the corner of a window. Fortunately, the guard was alert and raised an alarm for backup. The intruders ran away empty-handed.
26 March 2021, 01:44, Break in, Residential Site, Gleneig Road, Pomona – An alarm activated and reaction team was dispatched. The intruders gained access to the premises by cutting the electric fence. They went on to cut the burglar bars of the dining room and stole a handbag containing $200US.
26 March 2021, 03:19, Break in, Commercial Site, Unnamed Street, Kambuzuma – An alarm activated, and a reaction team was dispatched. On arrival, the team saw the back door was wide open. Two cases of sugar and two cases of rice were found abandoned outside of the shop. Warren Park Police attended the scene.
31 March 2021, 23:18, Break in, Industrial Site, Coventry Road, Workington – A break-in was reported at the site. Barbed wire on top of the durawall was cut. One battery was reported missing.
Intruder
3 March 2021, 22:57, Intruder, Residential Site, Coghlan Road, Greendale – A reaction team was dispatched after a panic signal was received. Upon arrival, the resident informed the response team that an intruder had attempted to access the domestic quarters. The intruder ran away when he was noticed.
3 March 2021, 01:49, Intruder, Industrial Site, Salford Road, Southerton – A guard raised to control that there were intruders on site. They had jumped the razor wire to enter the property. Upon arrival, the reaction team found shoes which one of the intruders had left behind.
11 March 2021, 00:02, Suspicious Person, Residential Site, Harare Drive, Marlborough – An alarm activated and team was dispatched. Upon arrival, the team met the client who said their gardener had apprehended an intruder. The suspect was taken to Marlborough by the Safeguard team. The man appeared to be mentally ill but was detained for further investigations.
18 March 2021, 23:59, Intruder, Residential Site, Hereford Road, Emerald Hill – An alarm signal was received and a team was dispatched. Upon arrival, the team met with the client who had said he had intruders in his yard but they did not enter the house. Police involvement was declined.
21 March 2021, 21:46, Intruder, Industrial Site, Martin Drive, Msasa – A detail raised to control that two intruders were seen trying to get into the next door contract. He pressed his panic button and a team was dispatched. Nothing was stolen.
Theft
1 March 2021, 21:32, Theft, Residential Site, Domboshava Road, Philadelphia – An unknown number of suspects cut and stole telephone cables and fled the scene.
1 March 2021, 15:31, Theft, Commercial Site, Edinburg and Campbell Road, Pomona – A guard noticed diesel splashed around the generator. He then found 2 x 5 litres of diesel hidden in an employee’s bag. The accused was taken to Borrowdale Police Station.
3 March 2021, 14:09, Theft, Industrial Site, Coventry Road, Workington – After stock intake the security manager noticed a stock variance. The matter is currently under internal investigation.
8 March 2021, 08:21, Theft, Industrial Site, Dartford Road, Willowvale – The response team was dispatched after a panic signal was received. Upon arrival, the team was informed that a truck rim, flywheel, crankshaft, and 28 springs were reported stolen. The area from which they were stolen is not covered by an alarm.
10 March 2021, 10:21, Theft, Residential Site, Stratford Drive, Greystone Park – An unknown number of intruders cut and stole copper cables before fleeing the scene.
11 March 2021, 22:41, Theft, Residential Site, Hawkshead Drive, Borrowdale – Two premises on the same road had their gate motors stolen by an unknown number of intruders.
13 March 2021, 08:44, Theft, Residential Site, Silwood Close, Chisipite – An unknown number of intruders accessed the premises and stole a gate motor. Highlands Police attended the scene. The gate area was not covered by an alarm.
14 March 2021, 15:41, Theft, Commercial Site, Strand Road, Graniteside – Upon arrival the team met with the client who said he found clothes in the guardroom which was made in the factory. The external guard was taken to Braeside Police station for the theft.
16 March 2021, 16:22, Theft, Commercial Site, Mukuvisi Woodlands Road, Msasa – An employee was arrested after seen trying to steal 1000 cigarette lighters off the premises. The accused was taken to Rhodesville police station
17 March 2021, 20:21, Theft, Commercial Site, Colenbrander Road, Milton Park – A panic signal was received and a team was dispatched. Upon arrival, they met with the client who said he saw an intruder jumping over his durawall with his bicycle. The team checked outside the yard and recovered two bicycles, two duvets, and a lace curtain. The case was reported to Milton Park Police Station.
20 March 2021, 20:11, Theft, Industrial Site, Remembrance Drive, Mbare – A guard reported to the control room that two water pumps were missing from the workshops. The matter was reported to ZRP.
26 March 2021, 09:36, Theft, Industrial Site, Sande Crescent, Graniteside – Upon doing CCTV playbacks a resident saw a worker stealing 2 x 20 litres of cooking oil off the site. The case was reported to ZRP Graniteside where investigations are still pending.
27 March 2021, 21:31, Theft, Industrial Site, Douglas Road, Workington – An external guard let two intruders onto the site who jumped into the next contract to steal. The alarm activated and a reaction team was sent. The intruders jumped back into the site and the external guard opened the gate and let the intruders getaway. The Safeguard response team managed to assist in arresting the two intruders and the guard was sent in for questioning at ZRP Lytton.
30 March 2021, 22:50, Theft, Residential Site, Jenkinson Road, Chisipite – An alarm activated and a reaction team was dispatched. The team met the resident who said he heard strange noises near his house. It was discovered that intruders stole 4×100 metres of Zesa Cables.
BULAWAYO
Robbery
6 March 2021, 05:04, Attempted Robbery, Residential Site, Ullswater Drive, Montrose – An alarm activated and a reaction team was sent. The caretaker was shot twice in the leg and the security guard was tied up. An eyewitness said that there were three robbers armed with two firearms during the incident. No losses were reported.
10 March 2021, 10:12, Robbery, Commercial Site, 9th Avenue, City Centre – Six armed robbers entered the premises and stole cash boxes that had been delivered that morning. The robbers hijacked the reaction vehicle which was later found abandoned in a suburban area along with the empty cash boxes.
Break-in
10 March 2021, 07:49, Break in, Commercial Site, 6th Avenue, City Centre – An alarm activated and a reaction team was dispatched. Upon checking the team did not find anything unusual. On the third alarm activation, the team noticed a padlock and chain placed on a table next to the door. Central police attended the scene.
Intruder
7 March 2021, 14:36, Intruder, Mine, Coghlan Avenue Extension, Killarney – 400 metres of barbed wire was cut and stolen from the premises. The keyholder was advised. Gold panners were known to be in the area.
14 March 2021, 00:30, Intruder, Commercial Site, A9 Road, City Centre – A mentally ill person was found on top of the roof by the reaction team. Upon seeing the team, the man fled the scene. Nothing was reported stolen. The manager and Police were advised.
Theft
2 March 2021, 06:14, Theft, Residential Site, Lady Stanley Avenue, Northend – A water pump was reported stolen from the property.
6 March 2021, 18:00, Theft, Commercial Site, Josiah Chinamano Street, City Centre – Copper cables were stolen from the property. The police were advised.
18 March 2021, 13:10, Theft, Mine, Unnamed Road, Inyati – A report was made that the gate for the dam was stolen off of the property.
27 March 2021, 15:53, Theft, Industrial Site, Birkenhead Road, Belmont – A laptop was stolen out of one of the offices. Investigations are in progress. Police were advised.
MANICALAND
Break-in
1 March 2021, 01:33, Break in, Base Station, Unnamed Road, Chikanga – An alarm activated and a reaction team was sent. Ten intruders were seen. The team apprehended one intruder. The other intruders came back to help their accomplice. All ten intruders got away. The response team recovered containers filled with diesel and a hosepipe. Chikanga Police attended the scene.
4 March 2021, 04:21, Break in, Residential Site, Hillside Crescent, Murambi – There was an attempted Break-in. The bedroom window was cracked. Nothing appeared to be stolen. Police attended the scene.
23 March 2021, 04:06, Break in, Base Station, Unnamed Road, Rusape – An alarm activated and a reaction team was dispatched. Upon arrival, the team noticed a palisade bar was broken to gain entry. An unknown amount of diesel was drained from the generator. The case was reported to Rusape Police Station.
24 March 2021, 20:09, Break in, Base Station, Unnamed Road, Mabvazuva – A break-in was reported and some fuel was stolen. Upon arrival at the booster, it was discovered that the alarm was not working.
30 March 2021, 16:16, Break in, Base Station, Unnamed Road, Rusape – Intruders broke into the premises and stole 1100 litres of fuel.
Theft
23 March 2021, 09:40, Theft, Commercial Site, Second Street, City Centre – A person was stopped on suspicion of shoplifting. He was asked to be searched however the assailant began attacking the CCTV operator. The guard used their pepper spray to apprehend the assailant. They were taken to Mutare Central Police Station.
29 March 2021, 10:37, Theft, Industrial Site, St Helens Drive, Nyakamete – Pieces of timber were found thrown out of the property. The guards were advised to monitor the worker who had worked the previous night.
MASHONALAND EAST
10 March 2021, 23:00, Robbery, Industrial Site, Munondo Street, Ruwa – A robbery was reported at the site. Five intruders who were armed with iron bars, a pistol, a rifle and a crowbar, tied up the manager in the factory and the guard was badly assaulted. The intruders fled with some business equipment and money from the site. An ambulance was called to assist the guard.
14 March 2021, 22:15, Theft, Residential Site, James Farm Road, Goromonzi – Two guys were seen stealing a mountain bike. The culprits ran away leaving the mountain bike. The case was reported to ZRP.
16 March 2021, 12:37, Break in, Base Station, Unnamed Street, Marondera – An alarm sounded and upon arrival the team noted that a palisade bar was broken. The razor wire was cut and diesel spillages were seen on the ground. An undisclosed amount of diesel was stolen.
19 March 2021, 14:08, Theft, Residential Site, Verney Road, Goromonzi – Some chickens and a dog were stolen off of the site. Police investigations are still in progress.
MASHONALAND WEST
4 March 2021, 06:22, Break in, Base Station, Galloway Road, Norton – An alarm activated and a team was sent. Upon arrival, the team noted that one palisade bar was broken. Diesel spillages were seen all over the ground. The matter was reported to Norton Police.
13 March 2021, 04:49, Break in, Base Station, Unnamed Street, Norton – Upon doing checks the team discovered that two palisade bars had been tampered with. One palisade bar for the generator cage was broken. Diesel spillages were seen on the ground. No alarm signal was received.
MASVINGO PROVINCE
21 March 2021, 04:18, Theft from Vehicle, Retail Site, City Centre: Four intruders accessed the site and drained an undisclosed amount of diesel from a vehicle parked on site.
MIDLANDS
10 March 2021, 09:41, Break in, Base Station, Unnamed Road, Mkoba – An alarm activated and a response team was sent. One of the palisade bars were broken. Diesel was seen spilt all over the floor. An empty 20l container was found. The matter was reported to the police.
12 March 2021, 03:57, Break in, Industrial Site, Trafford Road, Gweru East – An alarm sounded and a response team was sent. The team’s vehicle was stoned by the intruders upon arrival. An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen. The matter was reported to the police.
22 March 2021, 19:52, Break in, Base Station, Jacaranda Avenue, Kwekwe – An alarm signal was received and a team was dispatched. Upon arrival the team noted a generator battery was stolen, some diesel was stolen and the CCTV camera was tampered with. The matter was reported to the police.