Gauteng Provincial MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko officially handed over a mobile police station to Benoni SAPS on March 29 in Kingsway.
The launch forms part of Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s State of the Province address to direct additional resources to the SAPS, thus providing much-needed services to assist with the fight against crime in high-density areas.
According to Benoni SAPS station commander Brig Thabo Mphuthi, the launch of the mobile station will assist in bringing services closer to some of the city’s most disadvantaged communities.
“In terms of response vehicles, we have three to five vehicles at our disposal, which means that our reaction times are unfortunately not as prompt as we would like,” said Mphuthi.
“The nearest police station is 13km away from Kingsway, which makes certain police services inaccessible to the community. With the use of this mobile station, we will be able to bring these services to where they are needed most.”
She said that the mobile station will be rotated among five areas including Lindelani, Alliance and Brentwood Park, and services will include affidavits, certifying copies of official documents and the opening of dockets.
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The unit also boasts a holding cell, which will be used should arrests be made.
During her address, Mazibuka urged the community to make use of the services not only for administrative functions but to report any suspicious activities.
“The community needs to work with the police. You cannot complain about illegal mining if you are sharing a property with zama zamas,” she said.
“Know your neighbours and be the eyes and ears of the police.
“Let us root out corruption. The police are here to serve and protect, so if you see an officer accepting a bribe take a photo of their vehicle registration and report it immediately.”
The mobile unit will be operational during office hours, from 08:00 to 16:00.
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