Residents of Reiger Park have, during the Ntirhisano Community Outreach programme led by MEC of Community Safety Faith Mazibuko, raised a red flag about the ‘poor’ service of the Reiger Park police officers, and called for change at the police station.
They complained that their community is affected by rising numbers of drug abuse, crime, murder, hijackings and other social ills, and the police are not doing enough to address the problems.
During the programme, held at the Victory Tabernacle Church, the chairman of Reiger Park Steering Committee, Andrew Lee, said Reiger Park police and the CPF are not visible in their area.
“You hardly find the CPF doing crime awareness campaigns here. We feel isolated as a community and we demand awareness campaigns to be held in our area and criminals arrested.
“We hardly even see the Vispol operations and we feel Lt-Col Eugene Roets doesn’t care about fighting crime in our area. He keeps telling us that his police station lacks resources. We think he doesn’t care about what happens and is hiding behind the fact that the police station doesn’t have resources.
“Col Paul Mathebula had average resources, if not less, but still served the community. Therefore we are appealing to the MEC to remove Lt-Col Roets and appoint a new station commander at Reiger Park Police Station.
“He knows that the police officers at his police station are taking bribes from criminals and drug dealers, but he doesn’t take any action. A young child was kidnapped a few weeks ago and when we reported the matter at the Reiger Park police station they referred us to Benoni police station.
“When we reported the matter at Benoni they sent us back to Reiger Park police. That disappointed us, MEC. We kept going back and forth and the crime is still not resolved.
“There is also a communication barrier between the community of Reiger Park and the police officers at the Reiger Park Police Station.We speak Afrikaans and most of the police officers at the station don’t understand Afrikaans,” explained Lee.
Another member of the Reiger Park steering committee, Catherine Hermans, said the police officers of Reiger Park police station are failing to act to court orders or warrants of arrest, which is quite puzzling for the community.
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“We cannot understand why our police officers are failing to effect arrests on court orders or warrants of arrest. The answer is that we are neglected as the community of Reiger Park.
MEC Mazibuko responded by requesting the community to note down the names of police officers who are giving them problems and send them to her department.
“We want to take action against the police officers who are not doing their work. Don’t let the police officers intimidate you. The problem with the district is that it changes the station commander, but it keeps all the old crocks. The old crocks are relaxing in the police station and they are the ones who are sending people who are reporting a crime back home.
“I know they have to be pushed now and then to do their work. That is not a new thing. It is also happening in my department and I deal with it decisively. I know there is a language barrier between the police and residents of Reiger Park and that has to change.
The police officers in Reiger Park police station will be sent to a school to learn Afrikaans, if possible,” said the MEC Mazibuko.
CPF chairman, Issac Makhalanyane said the community should work with the police to fight crime.
“However, we are also aware that most residents of Reiger Park are fighting police officers for arresting someone involved in a crime, especially if it involves a resident of Reiger Park. That is completely unacceptable and illegal.
“We are appealing to the community to expose wrongdoers so that we can make Reiger Park a crime-free area,” said Makhalanyane.
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