Some community members who were threatened and harassed by the windscreen washers at the Marcia Street, Albertina Sisulu Road and Allum Road intersection, thanked police officers for their intervention at the Cleveland Community Police Forum (CCPF) held earlier this month.
Although it is the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department’s (JMPD) mandate to arrest windscreen washers, Cleveland SAPS beefed up its operations because of the crimes committed at the intersection.
Cleveland SAPS put a contingency plan in place after a woman was stabbed in March.
Police officers patrol the area constantly and place a police trailer at the intersection regularly to deter windscreen washers from operating there.
Police officers were also applauded on social media platforms on several occasions.
Although the number of windscreen washers operating at the intersection has decreased tremendously, Cleveland SAPS management is trying to establish a permanent solution.
The windscreen washers are brazen and keep a watchful eye on police officers.
When police officers leave the area during a shift change, windscreen washers return to harass motorists. This is during peak hour traffic.
Captain Peter Ramodisa said, “This is causing problems and we are looking at ways to address it. We are trying to come up with a strategy. We are also working closely with JMPD,” he said.
Sergeant Marius Boolsen, from JMPD, said he and his team are also trying their best to deter windscreen washers from operating at this intersection. “We chased several of them away. We will continue to do this,” he said.
