Security and staff occupying the 17th floor at Nelson Mandela Bay municipality’s Lillian Diedericks Building have refused to undergo lie detector tests as the city hunts for the thieves who stole two flatscreen TVs.
The TVs were stolen over a weekend in April when four staff from the human settlements department popped into the office to work and there was security staff stationed in the building.
The following month, on the 16th floor, five laptops were stolen from the same building, also over a weekend.
Details of the two incidents, which the safety and security department is battling to crack, are contained in a report by executive director Keith Meyer to the portfolio committee.
The incidents have raised the ire of councillors, who questioned why security staff could not view CCTV footage to find the culprits.
The cameras were, however, not all fully functional, Meyer said at the meeting.
On the theft of the two flatscreen TVs, Meyer wrote that investigations found that four staff from the human settlements department had worked over that specific weekend.
“The theft was discovered by one of the officials on the morning of April 23 2018.
“Upon arrival on the floor, it was discovered by the official that the entrance door was closed but not locked.
“Our internal investigation revealed that no forced entry onto the floor could be detected, meaning that either the door was deliberately not locked or the last person leaving the work space failed to lock the door,” Meyer wrote.
When his department recommended that the four staff members who worked over that weekend, as well as the security on duty, undergo polygraph tests, they refused.
“Various requests and correspondence were forwarded to human settlements to have staff subjected to the test. All persons have refused the polygraph test,” Meyer said.
He said the case had reached a stalemate because it relied on a lie detector test to get to the bottom of who was behind it.
Meanwhile, in the case involving the stolen laptops, Meyer reported that the thieves gained access to the floor by removing one of the air vents in the door.
“Furthermore, it was discovered that the night latch on the entrance door was not properly secured, meaning the door could still be opened.
“Security personnel on duty during this period identified nothing suspicious on the floor, and according to their access control sheets no records could be found indicating whether anybody had entered or exited the building on the mentioned dates.”
Meyer said their internal investigation could not conclude whether or not security or staff of the specific floor were behind the theft.
“A further contributing factor is the failure by staff to ensure that the access door was properly secured and locked.
“A criminal investigation is ongoing by SAPS.”
Security has since been tightened at the entry and exit points of the municipal building. All staff and vehicles are searched, Meyer wrote.
DA councillor Gustav Rautenbach said the lack of security at municipal buildings was a cause for concern.
Staff refuse lie detector tests after thefts
Security and staff occupying the 17th floor at Nelson Mandela Bay municipality’s Lillian Diedericks Building have refused to undergo lie detector tests as the city hunts for the thieves who stole two flatscreen TVs.
The TVs were stolen over a weekend in April when four staff from the human settlements department popped into the office to work and there was security staff stationed in the building.
The following month, on the 16th floor, five laptops were stolen from the same building, also over a weekend.
Details of the two incidents, which the safety and security department is battling to crack, are contained in a report by executive director Keith Meyer to the portfolio committee.
The incidents have raised the ire of councillors, who questioned why security staff could not view CCTV footage to find the culprits.
The cameras were, however, not all fully functional, Meyer said at the meeting.
On the theft of the two flatscreen TVs, Meyer wrote that investigations found that four staff from the human settlements department had worked over that specific weekend.
“The theft was discovered by one of the officials on the morning of April 23 2018.
“Upon arrival on the floor, it was discovered by the official that the entrance door was closed but not locked.
“Our internal investigation revealed that no forced entry onto the floor could be detected, meaning that either the door was deliberately not locked or the last person leaving the work space failed to lock the door,” Meyer wrote.
When his department recommended that the four staff members who worked over that weekend, as well as the security on duty, undergo polygraph tests, they refused.
“Various requests and correspondence were forwarded to human settlements to have staff subjected to the test. All persons have refused the polygraph test,” Meyer said.
He said the case had reached a stalemate because it relied on a lie detector test to get to the bottom of who was behind it.
Meanwhile, in the case involving the stolen laptops, Meyer reported that the thieves gained access to the floor by removing one of the air vents in the door.
“Furthermore, it was discovered that the night latch on the entrance door was not properly secured, meaning the door could still be opened.
“Security personnel on duty during this period identified nothing suspicious on the floor, and according to their access control sheets no records could be found indicating whether anybody had entered or exited the building on the mentioned dates.”
Meyer said their internal investigation could not conclude whether or not security or staff of the specific floor were behind the theft.
“A further contributing factor is the failure by staff to ensure that the access door was properly secured and locked.
“A criminal investigation is ongoing by SAPS.”
Security has since been tightened at the entry and exit points of the municipal building. All staff and vehicles are searched, Meyer wrote.
DA councillor Gustav Rautenbach said the lack of security at municipal buildings was a cause for concern.
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