Signs have been put up in Richwood to warn residents about potential dangerous areas following the attack on two people in the area recently.
The yellow sign boards which read “High Crime Area” have already been installed.
Glenn Marais, chair of the Richwood Neighbourhood Watch (RNW), says the first incident occurred at the end of Annandale Drive, Richwood.
A resident was attacked while working on a car, he says.
“He was hit on the head with a panga and sustained a nasty head wound,” Marais says.
He said RNW members along with Precinct Response, a private armed response company, treated the resident and once the bleeding stopped, his wife rushed him to hospital.
“Then last Sunday, a day after the panga incident, an armed response officer was attacked and beaten on his head with a concrete block. This occured at the area known as the ‘island’. He also sustained a nasty wound and his company took him to hospital,” says Marais.
These attacks, as well as a previous incident in which a resident from Bothasig came to walk her dogs in the area and was attacked, prompted Marais and Neal de Wit, owner of Precinct Response, to have warning signs made to be placed in the specific areas. Marais says Precinct Response covered the costs.
Equipment donated
“A large LED spotlight was also donated by Precinct Response. Once a suitable location has been identified the light will be installed,” says Marais. Precinct Response has also installed a CCTV overview camera covering the hot-spot in Richwood.
De Wit confirmed the attacks on the two people and says their company also assisted.
“A message came through from the Richwood medical group that assistance was needed at the end of Annandale Drive. It was said that a resident was attacked and required medical attention. Officer Ricky Schouw made his way from another incident in Edgemead. He arrived at the scene shortly after.
“There was already a RNW member at the scene, as well as neighbours. He assisted with first aid along with the RNW member to dress the wound on the victims head, as it was bleading badly.
“It was said that the victim and an assistant were working on a vehicle in Annandale Drive. They had noticed three individuals walking past and continued working on the vehicle. It was not long after that the victim realised that the three turned around and they were now attacking him, and in the struggle the resident managed to throw his phone over his property’s gate. It was at this point that he received the blow to the head.
“Based on the length and blunt trauma, it was determined that a panga was the weapon used. The patient was eventually escorted by his wife to the Karl Bremmer Hospital as metro was extremely busy,” explains De Wit.
Crime on the increase
He said such attacks are escalating within the policing precinct of Bothasig.
De Wit also confirmed the attack on an armed response officer who was attacked with a concrete block whilst on patrol.
“We have put up warning signs in high risk areas to warn people of the increase of contact crimes. We also donated a 200 Watt spotlight for the high-risk area to be illuminated during dark times,” De Wit says.
Bothasig police told TygerBurger last week that no cases have yet been opened related to these attacks.
