Just three months in his position as the Midrand Police Station’s new station commander, Brigadier David Tsotsotso appears to be delivering on his promises.
Joint operations with the Metro police – especially increased stop-and-search operations – have started to pay dividends. As have similar interventions with private security companies in known high-crime areas. All of this has resulted in a drop in incidents in some crime sectors.
Robbery with firearms, incidents of public violence and theft of motor vehicles, however, increased, while shoplifting and taxi issues escalated sharply, predominantly at the Mall of Africa. Plans to establish a satellite police station at the Mall of Africa are going through the necessary processes and, once operational, should reduce incidents at the popular shopping venue which attracts visitors from Johannesburg, Pretoria and neighbouring Sadac countries.
A recent video of a taxi incident near the Mall of Africa, where police officers were seen standing around while fighting broke out, went viral and brought into question the responsibilities of police officers in protecting citizens. An internal investigation of the Midrand officers allegedly involved is underway. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, they could be suspended.
Tsotsotso and his team have also moved quickly on the issue of criminal elements operating from some of the 160-plus residential complexes in Midrand. The brigadier has established a residential complex forum where police and complex owners and managers meet monthly to share information and strategise on how best to remove criminals from complexes who are using the security and high walls to hide from law enforcement.
WATCH: Attempted hijacking in Midrand
In May, Midrand was among the top 20 stations in terms of high crime levels in the 140-station clusters and its status was upgraded. Tsotsotso approached the provincial police office and managed to arrange for more officers and vehicles, which took the Midrand precinct to the top station in the cluster in terms of reducing crime.
Of the five sectors operating within the Midrand Community Policing Forums, Sector 2 has the highest number of incidents, followed by sectors 5, 3, 1 and 4 respectively. Sector 4 has embarked on a hi-tech surveillance system modelled after Sharonlea, which is ranked the safest suburb in Gauteng, and it has seen immediate results. There have been fewer visits from suspicious vehicles whose occupants are realising that the fibre-powered CCTV camera system, which has licence-plate recognition technology, can instantly determine if the vehicle belongs to a resident or visitor, or has been stolen.
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