Linden Police are making the public aware of offences that some community members might not be aware of.
Public indecency, public drinking, public urination and disturbance of the peace in public, are offences that are considered to be criminal activities. These offences can lead to suspects being arrested and getting a fine at the station or from the court.
- Urinating in public is an offence which is under the common law; it is also a health hazard that can cause hepatitis, trigger asthma and cause other illnesses.
- Drinking in public is also an offence under the common law. According to the Gauteng Liquor Act, no one should drink in public or drink while driving or as a passenger.
- Disturbance of the peace is a bylaw offence. It is under the City’s bylaws that there has to be minimum noise or sound expected from the community. Using loud hailing, loud music or any other form of noise that is disturbing the community concerned, will be seen as an offence. Otherwise, the City will have to send in a qualified sound engineer to verify the level of sound applied.
- Anyone showing off or flashing their private parts in public can be arrested and charged and will therefore pay the fine.
These offences are under the City’s bylaws and SAPS can arrest and charge the suspects under these bylaws.
“We are experiencing a lot of these offences lately and we just want to remind the community that on any offences or such criminal activities, one will be charged and appear in a court of law” said Linden Police corporate communications officer Constable Carol Mulamu.
Const Mulamu said that the SAPS will not condone any lawlessness in the community and that we all need to look after our environment and also not to offend other inhabitants due to lack of information. “Without taking away anyone’s dignity, we will enforce the law for the inhabitant to be civil and for the community members to abide by the law,” she concluded.
