Springs villa break-in worries residents

Residents of a freehold secure community are raising concerns about security after isolated theft cases are reported. Resident of the Springs said they are worried about their and their household items' safety after thieves allegedly broke into a villa when the owner was away on vacation.

Says Mohammed Agilani, a resident of Springs: “When I was on vacation, two gas cylinders have been stolen from my villa, which I thought is located in a secure community. I am paying for the round-the-clock security, but such incidents indicate there is no safety in the area.”

Mohammad said he is more concerned about the lack of safety than the value of the gas cylinders, worth Dh400 each. He says the cylinders were kept in a designated area as per the villa design inside an aluminum box, which is not normally locked. Residents take it easy because there is “24-hour” security service for the community.

“When I came back from vacation, I found the cylinders missing. The customer service department of the community was not willing to register my complaint or call the police. When I insisted on making a police complaint, they called the police. Now a case is being registered in the Jebel Ali police station and they will be taking finger prints to investigate the case.” 

Mohammed is not satisfied with the height of the villa fencing. “Anybody can jump the wall and come inside the villa. How can I lock my car or water tank inside the villa when I go on vacation? I am more worried about the safety of my children.”

The Greens offers modern low-rise residential apartment buildings with studios and 1-3 bedroom apartments. Other resident said they have raised the issue several times with the community customer care center.

Other residents are also concerned about the incident. "The security in the community needs to be improved,” said another resident who did not wish to be named. He said CD vendors and others throng the area for business.

Security experts said due to the current economic situation, crime is likely to go up and more cases of theft and house break-ins are being reported from different emirates.

Emaar Customer Care Centre did not respond to Emirates 24|7 query about the incident.