While other residents ushered in the New Year with hope in their hearts and firecrackers lighting up the night sky, the Kroats and Davies families mourned a loss.
Ingrid Davies (Ingrid Davies) explains how the life of Jerome Kroats, her 51-year-old brother-in-law, was snatched away at 12.15am on January 1.
Davies said, “He responded to an altercation at the nearby townhouse complex and was shot from behind by a gun-wielding man who fled the scene shortly after robbing Jerome of his own firearm.”
“A case has been lodged at the Eldorado Park Police Station but we have not heard anything from police.”
She added that a task team has been set up by police to investigate Kroats’ death, but this is no solace to the families. The recent murder of another longtime resident of Extension Seven has sparked outrage among people living in the area, with many pointing to the demarcation between Kliptown and Extension Seven along Boundary Road as a loophole criminals exploit to their advantage.
It is still unclear to many which police station to report crime to. This is due to the Eldorado Park policing precinct extending to the border between Kliptown on Boundary Road, while crimes committed on the other side are being investigated by Kliptown police.
A petition handed to the Eldorado Park police station on February 2 highlights the concerns of many residents living in the area. A total of 430 signatories have expressed their fears about the worsening crime which has seen an increase in muggings, murders, and drug peddling.
According to Davies, “Residents walking to the taxi rank are robbed at gunpoint and we have to be escorted there.”
Captain Phillemon Khorombi, the Communications Officer at the Eldorado Park Police Station, has met with residents and arranged a meeting to be held at the Don Materra School in Michigan Avenue on February 14 to pave the way forward to a crime free and safe environment in Extension Seven.
Residents are urged to air their grievances and, in conjunction with the police, create workable solutions to reduce the crime rate in Extension Seven.
Watch: Ingrid Davies speaking about the desperation felt by residents who feel unsafe in Extension Seven.
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