GARSCOM WEEKLY NEWS 27th July 2026
GARSCOM CONTROL ROOM TELEPHONE NUMBERS

​

• 012 993 0402

• 084 550 0826

 

CRIME REPORT:

​

• Last Saturday, 18 July, while we were working hard in the park for Mandela Day, two burglaries occurred in GarsCom. The first was in Marlin Street and the second, shortly thereafter, in Tiervis Street. Remember, these suspects arrive in expensive new cars to commit their crimes. If you do not recognize a vehicle parked in your neighbor's yard, call the control room. The suspects prefer to park in reverse so they can drive away quickly. If the vehicle belongs to the neighbor's guests, they should be grateful that we are investigating. We must be proactive and prevent thieves from continuing to terrorize our homes.

• No other incidents were reported in GarsCom last week

• The times of highest risk for burglaries are weekends and during the day. Sundays between 10:00 and 14:00 are a popular time for criminals to break in.

• During the Imbizo held last week, the commander of the Garsfontein police station, Colonel Makuwa, once again warned about several issues:

  • Vehicle theft remains the biggest problem in the Garsfontein police precinct. Always ensure your car is parked in a safe place. If you are hosting a social gathering at your home, make space inside the yard for high-risk vehicles—such as Toyota's—so they are less visible.

  • Fraud! Older people are being targeted, and online sales are a major problem area.

  • Joggers and walkers using headphones pose a significant problem. They are unaware of their surroundings, making them easy targets. Also, do not use your mobile phone while walking in the street.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS:

 

• Our monthly meeting takes place tonight at the GarsCom boardroom, 925 St Bernard Street. We start promptly at 19:00 and will finish at 20:00. We look forward to hearing from Elizabeth Nel, a resident of Great Dane Street, who will tell us more about bullying at school and in the workplace. Elizabeth is a South African Taekwondo champion and holds the rank of Grandmaster (8th Dan); she will therefore also share some practical tips with us. You are welcome to bring your children along; they will be back home in time for bed before school the next day!

• In this weekly newsletter, I report on all incidents within GarsCom that we are aware of and those I learn about from the police during our weekly meetings. If I have not mentioned an incident that occurred involving you—or in your street, or elsewhere in GarsCom—I would greatly appreciate it if you let me know immediately at enquiries@garscom.co.za or call me directly at 073 220 3528.

• We are currently upgrading the unsightly area at the GarsCom entrance on St Bernard Street to beautify it. Cathy and Deon Coetzee have taken the initiative, and Cathy works very hard on the corner every Wednesday. We would greatly appreciate it if you could sponsor a gardener for a Wednesday or make your own gardener available for a few hours on a Wednesday to assist Cathy, or join her for some work together. This would allow the process to move much faster, enabling us to start planting flowers in the spring. For more information, please email enquiries@garscom.co.za or call Cathy directly at 083 390 6070.

• We are also continuing work on Great Dane Park, and the area around the tap is already looking much better. Our biggest problem in the park remains the owners who do not clean up when their dogs make a mess. If you see someone who does not clean up after their dog, it would be great if you could kindly ask them to do so. Many thanks to Werner, who volunteers to ensure there is no dog waste lying around on our market days.

• Our vegetable garden on Bloukurper Street and the fruit orchard on Rainbow Trout Street is just waiting for summer. Do go and look at how beautiful GarsCom’s agricultural projects look.

• We need funds to maintain all these projects, expand our camera network, and to ensure the cameras remain in working order. If every family joins GarsCom and pays the monthly fee—R120 for houses or R50 for complex units—we will have no trouble maintaining everything. Please email enquiries@garscom.co.za today to obtain a registration form.

 

Safe week for all,

GarsCom greetings
Carol v Niekerk

Language editing and translation: Attie van Niekerk, GarsCom resident