Portfolio committee pays a visit to Reiger Park SAPS
The committee will continue to monitor the crime patterns in Reiger Park.
The station commander of Reiger Park SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Bongani Dube, who was appointed three months ago, promised to fight cable theft and other crimes during an oversight visit of the Gauteng Legislature Portfolio Committee on Community Safety to the police station on March 31.
According to Dube, he is satisfied the station is doing well in fighting crime but said there is more work to be done.
“Murders have increased in Reiger Park, according to our third quarter overview. In 2021, from October 21 to December 21, the police station was only dealing with four cases of murder, but in 2022 it increased to 18 cases.
He said they are dealing with crime by deploying patrollers in problematic areas and through weekly crime-prevention operations.
“Most murders happen between midnight and 04:00. It is the same for attempted murders, which have also increased. We will, therefore, increase police visibility during this period.
He added that assault cases have decreased from 83 cases in 2021 (October 21 to December 21) to 67 in the same period last year.
“Robbery with aggravating circumstances decreased from 32 to 21, common robbery remained the same and sexual offences showed a slight decrease.”
The deputy chairperson of Reiger Park CPF, Leon Busack, praised Dube, saying things have changed for the better since his arrival as the new station commander.
“He is always available to help the community. However, we strongly believe they should upgrade the station, as the Reiger Park area has expanded.
“There are many areas that have developed and others are still developing, but the police station remains small,” he said.
The chairperson of the legislature portfolio committee on community safety, Bandile Masuku, said the oversight visit aimed to address issues that have been making the rounds on social media about Reiger Park.
“One that stands out is people digging up electrical cables while police looked on.
“We are here to do an oversight and to ensure that the police are accountable,” explained Masuku.
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