The Sandton Community Police Forum recently had its Annual General Meeting at Country Club Johannesburg on 24 May.
Anthony Modena, chairman of the forum, said it was important for police and community members to work together, noting that crime in Sandton not only affects victims but also leads to a loss of investment in the economy and a decrease in employment opportunities.
According to Modena, the forum has had a great year so far with a number of events held and funds raised to assist the police in their fight against crime.
Modena also highlighted the need to tackle the root cause of crime – unemployment.
“We have Africa’s best constitution, infrastructure, and financial services industry but we also have 19 million people [who are] unemployed. We must all work together as a community to tackle this,” said Modena.
The past financial year has been very successful with a number of arrests made for contact crimes including armed robbery and rape.
This has resulted in a huge drop in crime overall as typically a small number of suspects are involved in multiple crimes. “It is critical to link various cases to the suspect to ensure a successful conviction and this is where the forum plays an invaluable role.
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“There have been a number of convictions including three life sentences for three people charged with murder.
One of the most frequent crimes in Sandton remains theft out of motor vehicles, which has increased over the past year. The days of the week that your car is most likely to be broken into is Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 4pm and 8pm.”
Modena urged the public to not leave laptops and handbags in the car or in the boot.
Kate Wardle, deputy chairperson of the Parkmore Community Association said, “We work closely with the Sandton CPF in Parkmore and share real-time intelligence via Whatsapp on a daily basis. This has meant we can co-ordinate and share resources in an incident, reaching senior police immediately and at all times of the day or night.
“We are very grateful as these dedicated men and women really do go the extra mile to assist. We have seen a significant and measurable reduction in crime in the past year.”
Modena concluded, “Keep an eye out for the unusual. Report it, get involved and do not assume someone else will do it.”
The meeting was attended by Bishop Paul Verryn and ward councillors Vincent Earp, Candice James and Christopher Santana.
Did you attend the meeting? Besides gatherings, how can community members become closer to police officers and work together with them? Share your stories with us on the Sandton Chronicle Facebook page.
