Crime in the suburbs of Randburg

[Guest May]

I live in Olivedale Randburg and currently confined after an operation. So how safe is it to be at home during the day?

They arrived at the house down the road in a bmw, lifted the automated gate and kicked down the front door, leaving with a playstation, tv and the owner's bmw.

This is in a boomed area, and at noon! on a Tuesday afternoon.

[Erik]

yip. We live in Bromhof, I just love inspiring stories like these from the local newspaper (on www.looklocal.co.za):

North Riding complexes targetted

After a spate of house robberies in North Riding police are warning residents to be more vigilant.

Hijacking on the increase, police warn

There has been a spike in vehicle-related crimes in Honeydew and police warn motorists to be more cautious.

[miraclebabycaw]

yip it's scary. Shot a guy in the street behind us a couple of months ago..7am in the morning..trying to steal his car. He died, his wife was injured. Just adds to why we want to leave.

[Guest May]

Um Ja, the residents must be vigilant....we are the tax payers but we must take our safety in to our own hands. Like Douglasdale shopping centre where there is jamming(closest we came to crime/ touch wood).

And one is warned not to keep your laptop in your boot so what must I drive home and drop it off or wheel it around in the baby seat in my shopping trolley? Hah

[Sa2Nz2Oz]

Theres a Nigerian living in same complex - just upstairs from me - he is quitely selling his drugs all day here - seen his actions - I know the police are investigating - but when is he going???

[Guest May]

The Nigerian branch in Olivedale Upper is where you can get your suburban fix.

[AllisonW]

I lived in Robindale in Randburg which is close to the brightwater commons before we left. I remember being so frustrated when i had my daughter because i was on maternity leave and yet i could not even leave the house. I was a prisoner in my own home. I worked with the police in SA and they had a special team looking at crime in town houses. After attending their meetings i could see that living in a unit was not safe at all. Many times its your "neighbours" that are the criminals and they have codes and remotes to enter the property with no problem.

[Donovan83]

I lived in Robindale in Randburg which is close to the brightwater commons before we left. I remember being so frustrated when i had my daughter because i was on maternity leave and yet i could not even leave the house. I was a prisoner in my own home. I worked with the police in SA and they had a special team looking at crime in town houses. After attending their meetings i could see that living in a unit was not safe at all. Many times its your "neighbours" that are the criminals and they have codes and remotes to enter the property with no problem.

This scares me but I can believe it. I live in a complex and we really do have a false sense of security here. I think your risk of armed robbery is lower than in a standalone house, but there are other risks that are higher.

At one stage we had a group of black guys living in one of the flats near us. They would start drinking on Thursday night and carry on all the way until Sunday night (sometimes Monday morning), pausing only to sleep and have sex with visiting women who were more often that not prosititutes, which they did loudly. When they drank they'd invite their friends around and there would always be around 8 to 15 people on their balcony, all yelling at each other.

The tenant was a driver for the ANC blue light brigade. I don't know what he had said to the body corporate or what he had done, but the whole complex was terrified of him. One day he and his cronies just disappeared without a trace.

At the moment we just have some prostitutes living near us but they're okay. I feel bad for their "jobs" but they are good people.

[MarcK]

I am sure everyone on this forum has a story to tell...either of their own personal experiences of crime...or of somebody close to them. It really is terrible to have to lived like that - now that we live in Australia I am constantly amazed at how free we are able to live and move around. Yes I am still careful - I don't think coming from SA will ever make me totally let my guard down but I sleep so much better at night not having to worry about violent and hateful crime.

[naartjielove]

We live in Bromhof too, its a bit scary I have to say, its a stand alone house and I feel a lot safer than when we lived in the complex. There are only 2 people with access, my fiance and myself and we have fort knox security systems but I hate having to imprison myself like that, Im even so scared that someone will hurt my dogs that I put them in the house whenever I go anywhere except work. Im tired of it, my family is originally from Zimbabwe and we never lived like that there.