Report crime to police, not social media
Social media has been abuzz for the past two weeks as residents expressed their concern and anger over theft and robberies that took place in the city, specifically in Landdros Maré Street.
POLOKWANE – Despite the large number of complaints doing the rounds on social media platforms, the police say there haven’t been that many cases reported over the past two weeks.
Polokwane Police Spokesperson WO, Lesiba Ramoshaba, says in many cases, victims do not report cases to the police. He once again urged residents to report any incidents, whether the assailants were successful or not, to the police. He explained that if a case is not opened, the police cannot investigate the matter and the culprits cannot be apprehended.
A victim of a mugging, Marie Britz, opened up to Review about her ordeal. Read her account in this week’s edition of Review Weekend
Other instances include armed robberies and vehicle theft.
Residents feel unsafe in downtown Polokwane which leads to them avoiding the area where possible. This in turn leads to a decline in clientele for businesses in the area.
A business owner in the downtown area, Maeem Sonpra tells Review he has lost a lot of business due to the increase in crime.
“Because people don’t report crime to the police, the police are unaware of the situation and can therefore not help the matter. If there was a more thorough system for victims to report cases so the police can react speedily, then people would have more faith in the police and would not feel it futile to report incidents,” he says.
An active community policing forum (CPF) in the area could possibly contribute to a decline in criminal activity.
Regarding corruption within the police, Ramoshaba said residents must report such allegations in order for them to investigate the matter.
Spokesperson for the South African Police Union (SAPU), Solly Bulala said they will not hesitate to investigate, and persecute if found guilty, any of their members suspected of being involved in corruption.
“We therefore ask that anyone with information regarding crime and corruption to come forward so we can do our jobs,” Bulala concluded.
