Norwood Police Station spokesperson, Captain Elliot Tshivhase, has told North Eastern Tribune that the police are concerned about the level of crime in their area.
In an exclusive interview with Tribune, Tshivhase conceded that crime is on the rise in areas including Norwood, Orange Grove, Melrose and Highlands North.
Tshivhase cited house and business robbery, car theft and hijacking, robbery and drug-related crimes as their major concern.
Even though the police could not give specific statistics about criminal activities in their area of service, he, however, said it is on the rise.
“Considering the cases reported to our police station it is evident that crime is on the rise,” said Tshivhase.
“We are concerned as the law enforcement agency responsible for dealing with crime in these areas.”
With the festive season just around the corner, Tshivhase said they will be reinforcing their crime-combating strategies to deal with crime in the area.
Tshivhase said they will be targeting busy areas such as malls, shopping centres and various other identified hotspots to curb crime.
He said during this time of the year, crimes such as cash-in-transit heists, robberies, ATM bombings and car thefts tend to be problematic.
Tshivhase said they will form partnerships with Norwood Mall, Balfour Park Mall and Melrose Arch and work with businesses, banks and retail stores to share important information.
“We want to have strong police visibility as well in these areas to curb any potential criminal activities that might happen.
“We [also] want to make sure that people are safe when they do their shopping and other fun activities without any fear of enjoying their festive season the way want to,” he said.
The police are urging the public to always apply caution, especially when they withdraw a large amount of money from the banks, and to safeguard their belongings, including their cars.
Details: Norwood Police Station 011 483 4609.
Read: Collaborate to fight crime
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