The Greyville South African Police Service (SAPS) recently took custody of a suspected thief thanks to the rapid response of a local security company.
“On Saturday, 20 February our team received an alarm activation from a home in Greyville. The customer is an elderly lady who was home alone when the alarm was triggered in the early hours of the morning. Our team was dispatched and arrived within minutes,” says Fidelity ADT’s District Manager for KwaZulu-Natal, Vaughan Pillay.
Armed Response Officer (ARO), Prince Mbhele, arrived at the property and immediately noticed that the gate had been forced open and was jammed. His backup arrived and both officers noticed movement on the roof, identifying two suspects.
“Due to the main gate being jammed our officers had to make an alternative plan to enter the property. Thanks to our Monitoring Centre Operators who were able to explain the situation to the customer over the phone, she was able to safely throw a set of keys for the pedestrian gate to the officers,” explains Pillay.
ARO Mbhele entered the property and made his way to the back of the premises, all the while fully aware of the suspects’ whereabouts. As he reached the right-hand side of the premises both the suspects ran towards him, one of the suspects wielding a large screwdriver in his hand, lunged towards the officer at close range.
“Mbhele’s training kicked in and he fired a warning shot into the ground. The suspect immediately stopped and dropped the weapon whilst the other ran away.”
One of the suspects was successfully apprehended and handed over for arrest on charges of attempted house robbery. The resident was unharmed and extremely grateful for the assistance.
“I am incredibly proud of the team and the manner in which they handled the situation. Our officers receive regular training and this shows in incidents where they face unexpected circumstances. The arrest also illustrates the effective synergy between our operators and on-the-ground resources. The fact that we were able to communicate with the customer, keep her up to date and find a quick solution in a dangerous situation speaks volumes of the service delivery we pride ourselves on,” Pillay concluded.
