Midrand Community Policing Forum (CPF) held its first public meeting after the repealing of Covid-19 regulations.
The forum last held its meeting on November 18, 2019.
Various councillors, Sector CPF chairpersons, and the public were in attendance in the Midrand Police Station’s boardroom on August 17.
Forum chairperson Steven Johnstone said he was pleased with the participation of ward councillors and members of the public who raised pertinent questions regarding crime in Midrand and plans to reduce it.
Johnstone added, “I am very happy with various patrol and joint operation initiatives that sectors initiate together with security companies and authorities from the Midrand SAPS who are eager to make Midrand a safe place that it once was. We need to tackle gender-based violence as it seems to be on the increase recently.”
Unaudited crime statistics for July were presented to the attendees and they showed a bleak picture as there was an increase in other crimes including hijacking, and contact and trio crimes among others.
Johnstone said property-related crimes, business robberies, murders and rape incidents needed more attention to bring the numbers down.
When asked if one police station was enough to service an area of Midrand’s magnitude, he said, “Midrand is becoming the new business and residential hub but the station can cope after being upgraded to a bigger police station. We can only appeal to provincial and national [government] to possibly give us another police station.”
When Ward 112 councillor Annette Deppe asked about the number of police vehicles and police officials servicing the area, Midrand Police Station Acting Commander Colonel Hosea Mantji said, “The station is currently operating with 72 vans and had 281 police members at the station. Each sector has one van assisting with patrolling and attending crime incidents.”
It was also revealed that the station records about 800 to 850 cases per month, while about 2 122 were currently active at the local magistrate’s court.
The forum will hold its next meeting on November 16.
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