Community support imperative to combat crime, according to SAPS

MBOMBELA – The crime statistics released last week delivered a sombre message about how widespread violence and lawlessness have become.

Provincial SAPS spokesman, Brig Leonard Hlathi said the problem is more intricate. The statistics are not a reflection of the police’s ability to combat crime, but a societal problem. South Africans should be very concerned, he said.

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“The soaring crime rates are not only a policing problem alone and all the blame cannot be shifted to the police in its entirety. It appears to be also a societal problem. Poverty, moral values and parenting methods are all contributing factors to the fact that society has lost its moral compass and is becoming more violent in solving problems in morally repugnant ways. We are a violent nation, with an attitude that if I see you dead, then I am happy.”

According to Hlathi, domestic violence and arguments between family are not a policing problem, but an attributing factor to the high murder rate.

“It is a challenge that the community must address though early childhood guidance, counselling and reporting. People must seek assistance from social workers and local pastors in these cases and report transgressions at their local station. We need to acknowledge that there is a problem in the country and too many people are dying.”

Hlathi said all South Africans have a part to play in collaboration with the SAPS and governmental institutions. The police, with their limited resources, cannot alone take responsibility for the surge in contact crimes.

Rape and sexual assault, where the perpetrator is known to the victim, are often not reported immediately, as the victim is usually groomed over a long period of time. “These sexual offences by relatives are traditionally dealt with internally and are not reported to police,” Hlathi explained.

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He stated liquor abuse plays a part and women in taverns are often preyed upon by sexual predators when they leave to go home late at night. “Nobody should be afraid to move from point A to B, fearing that they will get raped or robbed.”

He said the SAPS are extremely concerned when they see young people indulging in drugs. He explained that young drug users steal from their homes and neighbours in order to feed their addiction. Eventually this leads to other more serious crimes.

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Initiatives create a conducive environment where the police interact with learners on issues of community concern. He believes that you must “uproot criminality from a young age, because it is difficult to stop it at a later stage.”

Hlathi reiterated that the police are equal to the task, despite dwindling resources.