PE police station detectives' offices burgled

Two detectives' laptops were stolen during a break-in at the Mount Road Police Station. 

Police are conducting an audit of the dockets that were inside the two offices broken into, to determine if any current investigation dockets were stolen.

The burglary happened at the detective office branch on the sixth floor of the eight storey police station in Glendinningvale.

Top brass remain tight-lipped about the burglary, saying that it is unclear whether the incident was aimed to gather specific information or if it was just a random burglary.

The police station has a 24-hour Community Service Centre – situated at the front of the police station – as well as barracks.

The building also houses the local forensic unit, cluster office – which oversees seven police stations in the Bay – and sits alongside the Provincial Organised Crime Unit, which mostly deals with gang investigations.

In 2017, a lift at the same police station plummeted four storeys after 14 counter-weights, 70kg each, were stolen.

Earlier in 2019, The Herald reported on various stolen items such as door handles and fittings from the barracks,  where the Gang Unit offices are also based.

The sixth floor has a security gate which needs to be open to access to the entire floor.

Insiders have confirmed that the security gate was believed to have been unlocked, giving the culprit free range to the floor.

Officials said a detective arrived at work at about 6am and found the office doors open.

"The office doors were locked and it appears that a sharp implement such as a screw driver was used to open it," the officer said. 

"Two police issue laptops were stolen and it is still unknown if dockets were taken." 

The encrypted laptops, however, have several passwords restricting access to the police network.

It remains unclear if any pending investigations or evidence is stored on the hard drive of the computers.

The official said more worrying was that details could have been taken out of criminal dockets such as witness or complainant's addresses, forensic reports and statements.

Provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga said: "I have directed the cluster to mobilise all resources to track down the suspects involved and bring them to book." 

Police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci said a case of burglary had been opened for investigation.

The forensic unit were sent to the offices to gather forensic evidence.