eMBALENHLE – The Community Police Forum (CPF) held a stakeholders meeting on Saturday, 4 October at the eMbalenhle Police Station to discuss various crime challenges in the area and to build relations between stakeholders and the CPF.
Capt Magonseni Nkosi, police spokesman, pleaded with CPF members to educate the communities they serve to not take the law into their own hands.
He said there is a high increase in mob justice and many crime suspects are brought to the police station or are rescued by policemen after they had been severely beaten by residents.
Capt Nkosi said there is also a high increase in housebreaking, motor vehicle theft and cable theft.
“We arrested a truck driver who delivered cables at a local scrapyard.
“This increase in cable theft leads to power cuts and when there is no electricity, criminals take advantage to do whatever they want to do.
“We condemn this behaviour and ask people to not buy stolen items.
“We also ask residents to strengthen security measures in their home and on their property.”
Stakeholders raised various concerns, among others, police visibility at the eMbalenhle Mall, operations at taverns throughout the night and the increase in gang-related crime.
The misuse of police vehicles by other officials was also raised.
Capt Nkosi responded by saying he would talk with sector managers to improve patrolling.
“We are indeed facing problems regarding crime next to taverns and we need the community to be involved in building our society by eliminating crime.
“I am not sure about police officers who misuse state property, because nothing has been reported, but we strongly condemn this.
“We have various community and school outreaches where we engage with the youth and educate them about various issues such as gangsterism.”
Mr Joseph Mhlongo, chairman of the CPF, attributed their successes to the bicycles and the two-way hand radios which they received from businesses, because they are now able to attend to a crime scene faster.
“We want to build on this success story and will eventually drive the criminal element from the township.
“However we are still facing various problems in the community, but we will beat these.
He encouraged the members of the CPF to be united and to work together with the police to beat crime in the area.
