Residents in Verulam, have been thrust into a tense, fearful reality as an armed gang exploits one of the most routine parts of daily life—taking out the rubbish.
What should be an uneventful act has turned into a harrowing encounter for several residents, especially those who are elderly and alone.
Over the past month, a gang operating out of a brown Suzuki Ertiga has begun targeting vulnerable residents during their bin collection hours, adding to a growing wave of robberies and hijackings that have left the community on edge.
Last Thursday, the gang struck three homes in Trenance Park and Dawncrest within a span of just 15 minutes.
The first incident, an attempted hijacking, unfolded at 7:14 a.m. in Dawncrest. Two armed men allegedly entered a property and attempted to hijack a white VW Polo.
Fortunately, the resident’s shouts for help startled the intruders, who then fled the scene. Just ten minutes later, in Trenance Park, the gang’s desperation was on full display when they confronted a 44-year-old woman outside her home, demanding she escort them inside.
Though she managed to avoid being taken into the house thanks to the intervention of vigilant neighbors, the attackers forcibly took her jewelry before speeding off.
By 7:29 a.m., the gang targeted yet another home, where an 88-year-old woman was robbed of her jewelry at gunpoint, and her home ransacked, adding an unsettling new layer of fear to the lives of local residents.
The Verulam Civic Association, a long-standing advocate for community safety, has expressed deep concerns about the ongoing wave of violence.
Chairperson Vish Roopnarain described the situation as one in which Verulam residents feel they are living “under siege.”
For Roopnarain, the robbery epidemic has gone far beyond isolated incidents—it has escalated to what he describes as a crisis.
“We can’t even pray or leave our homes without fear. Our elderly citizens are particularly at risk; they are being targeted and robbed right outside their own doors.”
For Roopnarain and other community leaders, the gang’s focus on the elderly is an especially disheartening aspect of the situation.
Many of these individuals live alone or are home during the day without support. He urges everyone in the community to be vigilant, to take note of any suspicious behavior, and to report incidents with as much detail as possible to help police and local safety groups track the gang’s movements.
Community leader Shiraaz Ahmed from Trenance Park believes these recent attacks are no random occurrence.
Instead, Ahmed suspects the gang has carefully watched the community, monitoring people’s daily routines, understanding which residents are most vulnerable, and striking at times when they are least likely to encounter resistance.
Ahmed noted that the gang’s activities often coincide with the Thursdays when residents are expected to put out their bins.
“They observe people’s patterns and know when to act,” Ahmed said, pointing out that the gang appears to have a particular focus on those who may be more susceptible to harm, including elderly women.
One of the most troubling aspects of these attacks is the brazenness of the criminals, who don’t hesitate to hold their victims at gunpoint.
In a recent incident, Ahmed recalled, a member of the gang reportedly broke a lock to access an elderly woman’s yard, pointed a gun at her, and then proceeded to steal her jewelry and television.
“They know they’re targeting those who are less likely to fight back,” Ahmed observed, adding that the criminals seem to be quite familiar with the layout of the neighborhood and the habits of its residents.
Residents and leaders alike are frustrated by the police response, which they describe as slow, insufficient, and inconsistent.
Ahmed noted that response times can stretch for hours, leaving residents in vulnerable situations with little support.
“Most people cannot afford private security, yet we pay taxes and deserve police protection. We sometimes have to call repeatedly just to get a patrol car dispatched,” he said.
The delay, Ahmed believes, not only endangers residents but also emboldens the criminals, who seem to operate with little fear of immediate intervention.
The community has increasingly turned to private security companies, neighborhood watches, and the Community Policing Forum (CPF) to patrol the area.
However as Ahmed pointed out, these groups are largely composed of volunteers with limited resources. “It is not sustainable,” he said. “We need the police to establish a consistent and visible presence here. The community is weary of empty promises. Every resident has the right to feel safe in their home.”
In the wake of these traumatic incidents, local leaders are urging residents to take a proactive role in their safety.
Rachel Wilkin, chairperson of the Verulam CPF, has called on the community to organize neighborhood watch groups and street networks to better respond to suspicious activities. “If there are more eyes watching, we stand a higher chance of identifying these criminals,” Wilkin said.
She suggested that everyone can play a part, not just in terms of looking out for their own homes but by staying connected to neighbors, especially the elderly who may live alone.
“You may feel that this couldn’t happen to you, but this gang isn’t picky about income levels or where you live,” Wilkin warned, recalling incidents where both modest and affluent households were targeted on the same day.
Wilkin further revealed that there is growing suspicion that some of the gang members might be residents or have connections within the community, complicating efforts to track them down.
“When family members are involved in crime, some households choose to protect their own rather than come forward,” Wilkin explained. “We need families to take responsibility, to notice if a loved one comes home with unexplained money or goods and ask questions.”
To encourage accountability without fear of reprisal, Wilkin urged residents to use the anonymous crime tip hotline (08600 10111) if they have any information about suspicious activities or people in the area.
The recent spike in crime in Verulam has not only strained residents but has also sparked a greater awareness of the need for vigilance and community solidarity.
With local leaders pushing for tighter security, greater police accountability, and collective responsibility, Verulam stands at a crossroads.
While the gang’s terror has left an undeniable mark, the community’s response may yet determine whether this sense of fear is permanent or fleeting.
Verulam’s residents, though shaken, are resilient and determined. They are mobilizing and speaking up, urging authorities to act before another tragic incident unfolds.
