The CCTV video shared on YouTube shows a 66-year-old man being cornered by two men that robbed him of his cellphone.
Police are urging the Bellville community to remain vigilant of their surroundings while walking or parking their vehicles in Salisbury Street, Boston, as it is being monitored as a crime hotspot.
A CCTV video circulated on social media shows a 66-year-old man being cornered by two men in Salisbury Street before being robbed of his cellphone on Monday January 3, at 7pm.
Bellville police spokesman, Captain Aubrey Morwenyane, said the Boston area often experiences contact crimes, robberies and house break-ins but said the cellphone robbery in Salisbury Street on Monday was not reported to them.
“Salisbury Street is one of the hotspot areas in Bellville but neighbourhood watches are doing patrols and try to help us by reporting crime. Street robberies however mostly occur in Voortrekker Road,” he said.
Boston neighbourhood watch chairman, Sean Smit, agrees that Salisbury Street has become a hotspot for suspicious activity recently.
“Its always been a busy part of Bellville where sometimes people would go to the liquor store, sit there and have a drink but of late its become more of a walk-through at certain times. We believe the suspects fled to the main road and ran down to Tielman park which is behind DF Malan High School,” he said.
However, he feels that Weltevreden Street could be the biggest crime hotspot in the area where there have been reports of motor vehicle vandalism.
“We feel this is the biggest hot spot in Boston as its close to the flats that side, the CBD and squatter camps by the station. We’d also like to fence in the following streets which include: Duminy, Washington, Gladstone and Cleveland so that criminals won’t be able to easily have access to them after sunset.”