West Cape cops only have two patrol-vans in crime-ridden rural area with 400 farms with 'wealthy farm families'

West Cape cops only have two patrol-vehicles in rural area with 400 farms targeted by violent gang 2013-08-11 Cape Town - An armed gang which knows the Cape winelands very well, move about on foot, wearing balaclavas, gloves and backpacks, are terrorising farm-families in the Cape winelands, "which is home to some of the country’s wealthiest families," writes the Sunday Times. The Sunday Times reported that the crime-wave was confirmed by SAPS Captain Frederick van Wyk. He would not comment on whether it was a possible gang but one wine farm owner, who asked not to be named, said he had been robbed twice in the past few weeks and that up to a dozen farms had been targeted during this crime wave. Other residents revealed that the robbers employed nearly identical tactics in several of the raids; they often moved on foot and were equipped with balaclavas, gloves and backpacks and in many cases they were familiar with the surroundings, enabling a fast getaway."Police resources are however thin on the ground with apparently only two vehicles to patrol a rural area made up of nearly 400 farms and smallholdings."The robbers operate under cover of darkness and strike in the early hours of the morning. Residents say they were "not targeting tourists but rather valuable household items." Details remain murky. None of the attacked farms have been identified, nor any of the families attacked. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Armed-gang-targets-Winelands-20130811