Thieves hit units under renovation
By Celine Lim
TOA Payoh Central's soaring, new HDB blocks have been attracting attention lately.
Not just for their imposing 40-storey height, but for some unseemly goings-on.
This year, Blocks 79A to 79E, which were completed last year, have seen break-ins, thefts and even one murder.
Some residents, who were part of the selective en-bloc redevelopment scheme, moved in at the end of last year.
For some, the death of Block 79C resident Koh Sam Hong, 73, who was found stabbed in the chest on 31Jul, was the last straw.
They e-mailed The New Paper with their concern at what they saw as the 'large number of crimes... break-ins, car break-ins and even a murder' in the new estate.
The police, while unable to provide crime statistics for the blocks, are aware of the residents' concerns and are educating them on crime prevention measures.
A crime prevention advisory, posted in the lift lobbies on 18Jun, mentioned eight cases of thefts-in-dwelling at Blocks 78 and 79 between January and June.
The culprits usually hit units under renovation. They would tamper with the locks or cut the metal chains used by contractors to secure the main door.
Items stolen included refrigerators, DVD recorders, home theatre systems, ceiling fan lights and cables.
Furniture Stolen
A couple living in Block 79C said the furniture was stolen while their unit was being renovated three months ago.
A Housing Board (HDB) spokesman said nearly two-thirds of the 1,158 units in the five towers of Block 79 are now occupied, with more expected to be filled from next month.
Some residents reported the crimes through an online renovation forum.
In one posting on 17May, forum writer meowie49 said her TV splitter and doorbell casing had been stolen.
Two days later, she posted: 'When the HDB guy came, we asked if he can take the neighbour's (doorbell casing) for us first (as they had not moved in). He checked and said theirs was stolen too.'
Another forum writer, jacky777, said the electrical switches and socket outlets in the Block 79 flats were stolen as they are 'a well-known brand'.
Madam Ryane Lim, 25, a bank executive, said a decorative marine bell hung outside her flat was stolen a few weeks ago.
She said: 'I went out for an hour and when I returned, it was gone. My husband bought it in Germany and was upset.'
But not all residents are worried. At least 10 residents whom The New Paper approached said they had not heard of any thefts or break-ins.
A 72-year-old retiree, Mr Chong, said: 'I think it's very safe here. Nothing has happened to me or to anyone I know.'
Others shrugged off the incidents.
Mr Titus Chia, 38, a musician, said: 'I think the crimes will stop once the delivery men and contractors finish their work.'
Loiterers
But one thing that's unlikely to change is the people who loiter in the sky garden late into the night.
The sky garden, the first of its kind in an HDB estate, is a 12th-storey landscaped path linking all the blocks.
A resident who lives next to it said people are there 'at all times of the day'.
The sales executive, who wanted to be known only as Madam Lum, 30, said: 'In the day, there are people studying and playing their stereo. At night, I've seen couples petting.
'My brother-in-law has seen people vomiting. They had alcohol with them.'
Some visitors to the garden do not live there.
Madam Lim said: 'There's been graffiti - words sprayed or written on chairs and tables. But it's a public garden. We can't stop people from using it.'
The HDB spokesman said: 'Security factors are carefully considered in the design of HDB flats and precincts.
'The sky garden adopts an open concept that is seen easily from the surrounding blocks. Carparks are built at easily accessible locations with decks and staircases that can be viewed by residents.'
But residents themselves need to be vigilant, the spokesman added, especially if the precinct is new and residents are moving in progressively.
Additional reporting by Melissa Tan, newsroom intern
By Celine Lim
TOA Payoh Central's soaring, new HDB blocks have been attracting attention lately.
Not just for their imposing 40-storey height, but for some unseemly goings-on.
This year, Blocks 79A to 79E, which were completed last year, have seen break-ins, thefts and even one murder.
Some residents, who were part of the selective en-bloc redevelopment scheme, moved in at the end of last year.
For some, the death of Block 79C resident Koh Sam Hong, 73, who was found stabbed in the chest on 31Jul, was the last straw.
They e-mailed The New Paper with their concern at what they saw as the 'large number of crimes... break-ins, car break-ins and even a murder' in the new estate.
The police, while unable to provide crime statistics for the blocks, are aware of the residents' concerns and are educating them on crime prevention measures.
A crime prevention advisory, posted in the lift lobbies on 18Jun, mentioned eight cases of thefts-in-dwelling at Blocks 78 and 79 between January and June.
The culprits usually hit units under renovation. They would tamper with the locks or cut the metal chains used by contractors to secure the main door.
Items stolen included refrigerators, DVD recorders, home theatre systems, ceiling fan lights and cables.
Furniture Stolen
A couple living in Block 79C said the furniture was stolen while their unit was being renovated three months ago.
A Housing Board (HDB) spokesman said nearly two-thirds of the 1,158 units in the five towers of Block 79 are now occupied, with more expected to be filled from next month.
Some residents reported the crimes through an online renovation forum.
In one posting on 17May, forum writer meowie49 said her TV splitter and doorbell casing had been stolen.
Two days later, she posted: 'When the HDB guy came, we asked if he can take the neighbour's (doorbell casing) for us first (as they had not moved in). He checked and said theirs was stolen too.'
Another forum writer, jacky777, said the electrical switches and socket outlets in the Block 79 flats were stolen as they are 'a well-known brand'.
Madam Ryane Lim, 25, a bank executive, said a decorative marine bell hung outside her flat was stolen a few weeks ago.
She said: 'I went out for an hour and when I returned, it was gone. My husband bought it in Germany and was upset.'
But not all residents are worried. At least 10 residents whom The New Paper approached said they had not heard of any thefts or break-ins.
A 72-year-old retiree, Mr Chong, said: 'I think it's very safe here. Nothing has happened to me or to anyone I know.'
Others shrugged off the incidents.
Mr Titus Chia, 38, a musician, said: 'I think the crimes will stop once the delivery men and contractors finish their work.'
Loiterers
But one thing that's unlikely to change is the people who loiter in the sky garden late into the night.
The sky garden, the first of its kind in an HDB estate, is a 12th-storey landscaped path linking all the blocks.
A resident who lives next to it said people are there 'at all times of the day'.
The sales executive, who wanted to be known only as Madam Lum, 30, said: 'In the day, there are people studying and playing their stereo. At night, I've seen couples petting.
'My brother-in-law has seen people vomiting. They had alcohol with them.'
Some visitors to the garden do not live there.
Madam Lim said: 'There's been graffiti - words sprayed or written on chairs and tables. But it's a public garden. We can't stop people from using it.'
The HDB spokesman said: 'Security factors are carefully considered in the design of HDB flats and precincts.
'The sky garden adopts an open concept that is seen easily from the surrounding blocks. Carparks are built at easily accessible locations with decks and staircases that can be viewed by residents.'
But residents themselves need to be vigilant, the spokesman added, especially if the precinct is new and residents are moving in progressively.
Additional reporting by Melissa Tan, newsroom intern
