Weekly News and Crime

GARSCOM WEEKLY NEWS 17th November 2025
GARSCOM CONTROL ROOM TELEPHONE NUMBERS

012 993 0402
084 550 0826

CRIME REPORT:

On Saturday, 8 November, as well as last Saturday house burglaries were reported in Tiervis Street.
Footage showed how robbers in a neighbouring community convinced their victim to help with a supposed crisis. They operate in groups of 2 or 3 and pretend to need help changing a car tyre around the corner. Do not offer help—rather ask someone to accompany you. Once the victim walked with them around the corner, he was attacked. The reported victim was assaulted with a brick and robbed of his cellphone.
Theft of gate motors has sharply increased in neighbouring communities over the past week. Ensure your gate motor is secured. If you notice anyone near your gate, especially in the early morning hours, contact the GarsCom control room immediately.
Make sure your alarm and gate motor are in working condition before going on holiday.
At last week’s GPF Imbizo, it was clear that crime is rising everywhere—even more than this time last year. The general sentiment among attendees was that as long as residents remain uninvolved, we will struggle to keep crime under control. GarsCom has launched many projects over the years that residents can participate in. If each person budgets just half an hour or an hour per month to contribute time and expertise to the community, we can
sustainably maintain the safety we’ve built over the years. Please email enquiries@garscom.co.za for a list of projects and let us know which part you’d like to get involved in.
One of our long-standing projects—running for the past 17 years—is our Green Light Patrols. Last week, I received no fewer than six calls from concerned residents about rising crime. I advertised an information evening for the patrols on Monday night, but no one showed up. Remember: security starts with you. It seems everyone is concerned about crime but expects others to ensure safety. Do your part so our community doesn’t fall back into the deep pool of crime like in the 1990s. At the Imbizo, a woman from Constantiapark shared her experience of a recent armed robbery. She was so emotional she could barely speak. If you say you don’t have time to get involved, you haven’t considered how much time and emotional energy it will take from you and your family if you become a victim of crime.
REMEMBER: LACK OF INVOLVEMENT PARALYSES OUR COMMUNITY AND PROMOTES CRIME.

COMMUNITY NEWS:

Email enquiries@garscom.co.za to receive the list of projects and claim your place in GarsCom.
If you disagree with our methods or ideas, don’t complain to your neighbours—call me directly at 073 220 3528. I’d be happy to chat and welcome new ideas.
Please dust off your Christmas lights and start decorating your home! Our winners will be announced again on 12 December. More information about the Christmas Lights evening will be shared next week.
On 6 December, we’ll be handing out GarsCom calendars in the streets. Wait for us in front of your house to receive our brand-new 2026 calendar. If you’d like to be part of the team distributing calendars, email enquiries@garscom.co.za or call me directly.

Wishing everyone a safe week ahead,
Warm regards from GarsCom,
Carol van Niekerk

Language editing and translation by Annette Stiff, GarsCom resident