While the Brixton Police Station says crime has generally been on the decrease in Melville, vehicle theft and theft out of vehicles are still a serious problem.
Brixton Police Station commander, Colonel Mkhacani Maluleke said he wanted to bring the trend to residents’ attention.
“We’re facing a huge problem with vehicle theft and theft of vehicles in Melville and we want residents to be aware,” he said.
Spokesperson for the police station, Jeanette Backhoff said their officers spent nearly every day patrolling Melville and carrying out operations during the festive season to prevent the two types of crimes. She explained that they really are looking at four problem streets – 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th.
She said despite these two crime categories being a problem, police are seeing a lot of help and involvement from businesses in the area and would like to see residents or people who visit Melville on board too.
In addition to vehicles being targeted, Backhoff explained that restaurant patrons sometimes become rather inebriated and forget where they park their cars and register false cases with the police. She said this happens more often than one would think and, while one can understand people having a good time, opening up a false case is a criminal offence.
“Sometimes we would investigate or the person would go back to where they were the night before and would find their car,” she said.
In addition to car theft, with the various operations that were and continue to be conducted in Melville, police often leave cards on cars where valuables are visible.
“We get mixed reactions from the cards. Sometimes people read them and think, and sometimes we get called to ask why the police are putting cards on cars,” she explained.
Ultimately, Bachoff said residents need to be vigilant and need to have a mindset change when it comes to leaving valuables displayed in their cars.
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