Robbers are targeting malls

2005-06-30 08:47

Virginia Keppler

Pretoria - To issue security guards at shopping centres with firearms will lead to shootouts between them and the robbers, and in this way, more people's lives will be put at risk.

This is according to Anton du Plessis, head of the crime and justice programme at the Institute of Security Studies.

Several shopping centres in Pretoria and Johannesburg have been robbed since the beginning of the year. Only a handful of robbers had been caught.

Du Plessis said the police should take a look at the type of clothing the robbers wear when they attack. "At about 11 centres in Pretoria where there had been robberies the past year, many of the robbers had been wearing ordinary blue overalls.

"This causes them to blend in with the environment and the people because it looks as if they are working there.

"This means a bloke can quickly rob a shop, run around the corner and then walk off calmly to the nearest bus stop or his vehicle without being noticed.

"Closer attention should also be paid to the modus operandi. Robberies at centres are increasing alarmingly since it is low risk with a high profit."

In one of the recent incidents, between 14 and 16 armed men broke into two clothing stores in the same centre and made off with clothes to the value of R300'000.

It makes it attractive for other robbers because few of these robbers are arrested, Du Plessis said.

He doesn't think a syndicate is responsible for all the robberies. "I think they copy each other."

- Beeld