Response from SAPS to crime, a concern

The man, who did not want his name published, said criminals are roaming the streets freely and the number of crimes taking place in the suburb is alarming.
It seems Jeppe SAPS is not addressing crime. Crimes such as hijackings, robberies and burglaries are a problem. My property was one of several targeted by criminals. On Tuesday last week, two people tried to break into my property in the morning while my son was at home. They approached the house and confronted my son but could not get into the house. They fled by jumping over the fence. There are at least two neighbours who were targeted in recent weeks, said the resident.
He was unable to contact sector police officers. One of the numbers I dialled just rang. I called the second sector number and this call was answered in the charge office by a staff member. I thought that the sector police officers were supposed to be in possession of these cellular phones at all times and calls are supposed to be answered, he said.
He is not the first person to complain about not being able to get hold of a sector police officer. Some Kensington residents served by the Jeppe SAPS also had similar experiences.
When the resident went to Jeppe SAPS to open a case, police officers in the charge office apparently tried to brush him off.
They seemed not to care about opening a case. Although it is my property, they said my son has to open a case. The officers should have attended to my complaint immediately considering that my neighbour knew where to find the suspects, he said.
He also opened a case in August and has heard nothing since.
I apprehended the person who broke into my vehicle. There were witnesses but to date I have had no feedback on this case and some of the witnesses have not even had their statements taken, he said.
The resident said there are several other concerns which the SAPS seems to be ignoring. Some of these include street robberies and crimes involving patrons of local shebeens.
Other residents have also complained about fights and drug dealing taking place around shebeens in the precinct. Mr Edward Liebenberg, also a Bez Valley resident, complained in the past about drug sales that are escalating at the corner of 5th Street and Albertina Sisulu Road.
The resident also raised concerns about the lack of police patrols from 6pm and 10pm. He said they should be more visibility considering the number of crimes taking place.
I believe some police officers brush off incidents because they do not want to investigate the crimes. My advice to the community is to stand up and march to Jeppe SAPS with a petition calling for more protection from police officers, more feedback on cases, more care about the residents they serve and to bring more criminals to book, he said.