Far East Rand Hospital gets three solar cameras
The meeting was productive, with progress on several problem areas noted.
Car theft rates at Far East Rand Hospital should drop now that CCB Risk and Security Consulting has erected three solar security cameras to catch thieves.
Charl Bronkhorst, the owner and director of CCB and a representative for the local security industry, shared the happy news at the monthly SAPS stakeholders’ meeting held on September 25 at the State Mines Country Club.
The meeting had a positive undertone, with progress noted on most issues and crimes plaguing the town.
The crackdown on illegal mining yielded positive results and intelligence on miners’ modus operandi.
A meeting will be held with the Brakpan Taxi Association to address an illegal taxi rank on Boundary Road and the scholar transport safety issues the association provides.
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The crime overview looked good, with many crimes having decreased compared to this time last year, and, according to Captain Pieter Booysen, acting head of crime intelligence, the station is generally in the green in terms of crime statistics.
However, GBV cases continue to rise, as does drunk driving and rape, all of which can be attributed to alcohol overconsumption and the fact that these crimes typically happen in private and go unreported, compared to crimes like robbery, hijacking and incidents related to theft or property damage, which are often reported or happen publicly.
“Liquor-related assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm remains a huge problem, and our liquor forum is targeting non-compliant and illegal liquor outlets to try to reduce these instances,“ Booysen explained.
Commercial crime and social media scams remain a serious problem, with a recent case involving a man who tried to buy a Nissan NP200 from a seller on Facebook for just R18 000. He put down a R9 000 deposit to hold the car.
The seller stole the money.
“If it looks too good to be true, it is. Do not give anyone money until you are physically holding the product in your hands,” said Colonel Eugene Scheepers, the acting station commander.
The SPCA told the attendees a plan is in action to collaborate with the SAPS to remove animals from homes where crimes were committed, whether because the owners were arrested, leaving the animal abandoned, or because in cases of domestic violence, animals often also suffer.
PR Clr Riaan van Zyl spoke on behalf of council and urged the public to report service delivery complaints to the CoE.
“The more reference numbers a complaint has, the higher up the priority list it goes, and the more likely it is to be attended to quickly,” he explained.
He also warned that the rainy season could bring power and water outages because infrastructure might be damaged. He pleaded for understanding and patience while the metro attends to these complaints.
When reporting illegal dumping to the CoE WhatsApp line (060 667 7177) or councillors, residents should include:
• the exact location
• a timestamp
• the make, model and registration number of the vehicle used
• photos showing the vehicle and perpetrators as clearly as possible.
Many perpetrators use false number plates, but with frequent reports, a pattern can be identified, and the criminals caught in the act.
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