CPF urges community to report crime for police records
Community Policing Forum is determined to work with community as well as the authorities to fight against crime
Ward 93 Councillor Vino Reddy alerted the Sandton Community Policing Forum (CPF) to look closely into a disturbing post that has been doing rounds in the community group chat.
Residents expressed concerns about their safety and sent additional messages to Reddy. They reported being harassed by criminals operating at the Main and Witkoppen Road intersection, specifically in the Clay Oven and Ginger Park informal settlements.
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One of the posts reads, “I just need to make people aware of the terrible incident that happened to us today on Main Road during traffic. We were coming from Bryanston, driving towards Lonehill, and had just about crossed the bridge that runs over the highway, when a man appeared from the side of the road.
“He immediately approached our car and tried to open the [back] door – where my 7-year-old was sitting. Thankfully, the door was locked. – I was so scared he would be able to get into the car and get my child. – Thankfully traffic started to move and we managed to drive away from him. Please be careful. Make sure your doors are locked.”
Reddy said it was the second time that he saw the post on the group and reiterated how important it is to report such incidents to the SAPS or the CPF.
Also read: CPF meeting in Bryanston addresses crime issues
The chair of sector two CPF Jessica Louwrens said, “People cannot say this is what happened without reporting it to the police. They must report this kind of incident. We, as CPF, can help by escalating it. If you do not know how to report it, or who to report it to, please contact us so that we can help you; even if it means we have to go to the police station.
“When someone comes and bangs at your car window, that is intimidation, and you also don’t know if it is an attempted hijacking, so report it. That case number is what we need to escalate. It will then be given to JMPD, and if they find that it is within their duties, then the police will tell us. We can use those identifiers to escalate the issue.”
She added that residents are reluctant to report such incidents, believing that reporting them would be fruitless, “We must report crimes to the police to create a record and ensure action is taken. Without reports, crimes go un-noted and areas remain under-resourced.” She also warned of second-hand posting. She said she saw another post that seemed it was an immediate situation. She tried to trace the source, and called the person who posted it, only to discover that they had also seen it on a community page and simply thought it was something of interest. They didn’t know who posted it originally, or when. It turned out that it was in a completely different area.
“Let us verify, be vigilant, and report issues to the police.”
Related article: Douglasdale CPF advises community to be vigilant
