Community members and, most especially, criminals in the Sandringham precinct can expect major police visibility this year.
Sandringham Police Station spokesperson Warrant Officer Aaron Lebuso said the police will combine efforts to tackle problematic crimes in the area.
Lebuso said they have been working hand in glove with the Sandringham Community Police Forum (CPF) and will continue to do so while they also rope in security bodies and the Metro police as well to combat crime in hotspots. He said crimes of concern starting with the most concerning are assault (mostly domestic violence), theft, carjacking, theft out of a motor vehicle, armed robbery and fraud.
Lebuso explained, “We need to tackle our entry from Linksfield to Marlboro because of the car hijackings that are happening there. Hijackings happen there almost every day. N3 is also a hijacking hotspot and it has many exit routes which hijackers use as their escape routes.
“We plan to meet with security bodies and we will put the issues on the agenda and bring it to their attention. Some of these are national routes so we need to consult with provincial stakeholders as well.”
He advised people not to leave valuable possessions, which attract criminals, in their cars – even when parked at home – rather leave belongings safely in the boot.
“In terms of fraud, people need to be aware during online shopping. For instance, they find items being sold online and they pay for them only to find out that the account they paid into is closed and they haven’t received what they paid for. This kind of crime is difficult for police to trace therefore avoid such interactions.”
He further warned that these days people steal anything and everything and they no longer target certain items. Therefore, residents are warned to keep their gates locked and belongings protected.
Details: Report criminal activities to Sandringham SAPS on 011 719 4821.
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