JAN KRUGER writes:
Early this morning at 0.35am (January 1) I contacted Kempton Park SAPS for the first time to ask them to call on a neighbour to stop the noise.
The lady sounded like she just woke up but was very friendly and courteous and said she would contact the patrolling vehicle in the area and send it over. I specifically asked her to send them to my house and gave the address.
At 1.05am I called again, as nobody from the police pitched and the noise was getting worse, and spoke to the same person again. She told me that the vehicle had been dispatched.
At 2.17am I called for the third time and this time the phone was answered by a male officer. At 2.40am I called again, this time another gentleman picked up and I had to tell my whole story again. He promised to direct the regional vehicle to me immediately. Needless to say that the noise was not getting any better on its own.
At 3.05am I called again and spoke to another male officer and while I was on the phone with him, there was a massive bang that sounded like someone at the party discharged a firearm (they did not shoot any fire crackers earlier at midnight so I did not think it was a fire cracker).
I mentioned this to the officer and he even confirmed that he heard it too and said he would send out a car.
At 3.25am I got into my car and drove around to my neighbour’s house and rang the intercom and even blew the hooter on my car twice but nobody reacted.
At 3.29am I had an incoming call from 011 393 8801 but when I answered it, there was nobody on the line, so I assumed a bad connection and phoned the number back. After three attempts of ringing till the number went dead, I loaded up my wife and dogs and drove to a friend’s house to get some sleep.
No idea at what hour my neighbour finally stopped his racket but I was chased out of my own home by a deviant who had no regard for his fellow residents because the very people that are there to assist, had no interest in helping me.
Not once did they say that they were very busy and it might take a while or gave any indication that they could have a problem because of more important or urgent cases.
