September saw a sudden surge in shootings, with two in South Hills and the third in Rosettenville.
Nhlanhla Rankoa, the CPF PRO, said, “This is a worrying state of affairs that needs a collective approach to try and nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.
“Residents in the affected areas must report these criminal elements because they live in these communities.”
He said the Moffat View SAPS lacks manpower and equipment.
“The ratio of the population versus the police is unthinkable. Undocumented foreign nationals compound the situation, which makes the policing job more difficult.”
Destroy the gangs
Rankoa said gangs are deeply entrenched in their communities.
“They are violent, secretive and opportunistic. Ultimately, most gangsters just want money, making them easy to turn.
“The police should focus on infiltrating gang hierarchies with armies of informants, turncoats and undercover police. This intelligence, combined with skilled detective work, surveillance and overall evidence and intelligence-based approach to crime prevention, will allow the police to understand what makes a particular gang tick, identify the key leaders and arrest them.”
Provide alternatives to gangsterism
Rankoa believes that even after the gangs are impoverished, disarmed and taken down by an effective anti-gang strategy, more will pop up if the root cause of gangsterism goes unaddressed.
He said more people would become desperate and turn to crime because they do not have jobs. Jobs must be created through a sustainable free market to remove this desperation.
“On top of that, young men in these communities must get access to good male role models to teach them that they should not aspire to be gangsters but rather to be thinkers, entrepreneurs, family men, providers and guardians. Not thugs.
“Churches, community leaders, public gyms, sports and all manner of institutions must work together to ensure young men, especially orphans or those from single-parent households, are given the social support they need so they don’t seek out affirmation from thugs,” he said.
There are no programmes specifically developed to prevent gangs from emerging.
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In the meantime, to prevent youth from joining gangs, communities must use many strategies and services, including:
• addressing the elevated risk factors for joining a gang;
• strengthening families;
• reducing the youths’ conflicts;
• improving community-level supervision of youth;
• providing training for teachers on how to manage disruptive learners;
• providing training for parents of disruptive and delinquent youths;
• reviewing and softening school “zero-tolerance” policies to reduce suspensions and expulsions;
• ensuring that punitive sanctions target delinquent gang behaviours, not gang apparel, signs and symbols;
• providing tutoring for students performing poorly in school;
• increasing adult supervision of learners after school;
• providing interpersonal skills training to learners to help resolve conflicts.
• providing a centre for youth recreation and referrals for services;
• providing gang awareness training for school staff, parents and students;
• teaching learners that gangs can be dangerous; and
• providing training for school resource officers in mediating conflicts.
“A balance of prevention, intervention and suppression strategies is vital for success in a community. Prevention programmes target youth at risk of gang involvement and help reduce the number of youth who join gangs.
“Intervention programmes and strategies provide sanctions and services for younger youth who are actively involved in gangs to push them away from gangs. Law enforcement suppression strategies and intensive services target and rehabilitate the most violent gangs and older, criminally active gang members,” Rankoa said.
Residents from Geranium Street and the surrounding areas met on September 15 to raise concerns about the recent muggings that happened between 04:00 and 07:00. It is alleged the criminals live in a nearby flat, and some in drains in the vicinity.
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Geranium Street has become a crime hotspot after reports of several muggings in the area.
“There was no mention of a gun. In such cases, the criminals often carry knives and produce them only if the victim resists,” he said.
The area has become a crime hot spot because several other muggings and smash-and-grabs were reported in the area.
Residents are urged to remain vigilant and cautious. The CPF also encourages people to walk in groups because it makes them less vulnerable to criminals. Residents are also asked to report all criminal activities as soon as possible.
“We need to educate people that time is everything. Often, these incidents are only reported 20 minutes or hours later. By that time, there is little a neighbourhood watch or the SAPS can do. When reported immediately, patrollers can try to pursue the suspect or track a stolen phone,” said Rankoa.
It is also vital that residents open a case at the SAPS.
“It is all about statistics. If the statistics reveal many muggings occur at a certain place, the police can increase patrols in that area. Also, if residents do not open a case, the criminal cannot be arrested and often returns to the streets to commit similar crimes. Residents are encouraged to mobilise and form patroller groups to patrol that hotspot in the early hours of every morning,” he noted.
