If information about a potential suspect is shared far and wide as quickly as possible, then there is a much bigger chance of a successful arrest. This is the lesson learned from an arrest in Sandbaai earlier this week (around 7.30am on Wednesday 20 July 2022).

“One of our guarding managers was driving through the area when he saw a message on a local WhatsApp group, giving a description of an alleged suspect,” explains Marius Boshoff, the Hermanus branch manager for Fidelity ADT.

It seems the suspect had gained unauthorized access to a home. He was in the process of trying to grab a handbag from the kitchen table when the female homeowner interrupted him. She raised the alarm, while the suspect fled the scene.

“Our manager saw the description provided and soon noticed a person walking down Jimmy Smith Street which matched the description. When he turned his vehicle around however there was no sign of the man,” says Boshoff.

It didn’t take long for the suspect to make a reappearance, he adds.

“A few minutes later, the suspect came running towards our manager while another company’s armed response officer was chasing him. The officers worked together and the suspect was detained before police took him back to the house where the incident took place. The resident positively identified the man, and he was arrested on a charge of housebreaking and attempted theft.

“Well done to our manager and to his counterpart who worked together to secure this arrest. I also want to thank members of the Alpha Neighborhood Watch who offered support to the resident after the events. The arrest was made possible by excellent teamwork and by the quick distribution of an accurate description of the suspect,” says Boshoff.