Thieves target mall
2006-11-23
JEWELLERY stores in the Paarl Mall were robbed of almost R175 000 worth of jewellery in two incidents last Friday.
Wiekus Viljoen, owner of Viljoen Jewellers, said that there had been a special locked display of TAG Heuer watches in the foyer outside their shop.
One of the sales ladies had been showing the watches to a client and returned to the shop. When she went out again, she found that seven watches worth R156 000 had been stolen.
“We immediately called security, but the robbers had long gone.
“After viewing the footage which had been recorded by security cameras, we could see three men with their backs turned to the camera who were fiddling with the cabinet. Unfortunately the camera was not able to positively identify the people, and a camera in the parking area recorded them running away.
“We don’t know how they opened the locks to the cabinet because they are very secure. I must now carry the loss of the stolen goods.”
Barely half an hour after the incident with the watches, four men and a woman arrived at Galaxy Jewellers which is directly opposite Viljoen’s.
While the women kept the shop assistants busy, the three men were crowded around a cabinet containing rings.
Suddenly all five people left the store and a shop assistant noticed that two diamond rings and a set of earrings to the value of R16 000 had been stolen.
Again the security camera was not able to identify the people, because it is not able to zoom in closer to the subject.
The Paarl Mall has been the target of robbers and shop-lifters for several months and shop-owners are starting to show their dissatisfaction with the security at the Mall.
Last week one clothing shop was robbed of a few thousand rands worth of clothing.
During the past months Ackermans, Clicks and Dischem reported severe losses.
It is not only shops which are being targeted in the mall, but numerous customers have had their cellphones and handbags stolen by pick-pocketers.
One irate store manager said there were only three security guards present in the Mall and they were rarely seen.
“It is impossible for three guards to see to the security of a Mall this size. Because of all the losses we have experienced, we are now forced to reach even deeper into our pockets and pay for our own security guard.”
Another store owner said that she had worked in many shopping centres and had never experienced such poor management.
“We have problems with security in the Mall, but the management does not discuss this with us or come up with ways to combat thefts.
“We are supposed to receive monthly reports about what is happening in the Mall, but I am still waiting for September’s report.”
The police are investigating the possibility that the thefts at the jewellery shops are linked.
The management has blamed the incidents on negligence.
Manager André Williams added that the security at the mall would be increased during the festive season to prevent further incidents from occuring.
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