Crime combating forum launches campaign
The SAPS has continued to come under fire for slow response time, lack of sector vehicles and alleged corruption.
Sector Four Community Policing Forum (CPF) spearheaded a new campaign to fight against high crime rates in Freedom Park and surrounding areas.
The campaign is in response to escalating reports of killings, petty crime, house robbery, and hijackings among others.
The campaign comes barely two weeks after the Eldorado Park CPF held a similar initiative- due to the gang-related violence in recent months.
Both areas are serviced by the overwhelmed and under-resourced Eldorado Park Police Station. It was listed in the top 30 police stations for contact crimes, attempted murder, common assault, carjacking, kidnapping, malicious damage to property, as well as illegal possession of firearms and ammunition on the fourth quarter stats of 2022/23 financial year, released earlier this year.
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Sibusiso Zwane, sector four chairperson said crime patterns in the area had rendered residents as prisoners in their own homes.
“As sector four we have decided that we can’t continue to fold our arms and began to fight against this nightmare we see in our community.
“It was also to raise awareness to the broader community on crime matters and changes we want to see,” he told Urban News post the launch.
The campaign targeted Freedom Bridge next to Kusasalethu, Siyaya and Lindelani informal settlements- which Zwane described as problematic due to their densely populated and congested setting.
The campaign will double efforts to support policing in the area, especially as the festive season fast approaches.
“It is really a mobilisation for the community to get involved and be part of the CPF. It makes it easy to have whistle-blowers street to street who are crime combatants.
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“It makes our work with police even more effective because the people on the ground are the eyes and ears of the police,” added Zwane.
The SAPS has continued to come under fire for slow response time, lack of sector vehicles and alleged corruption.
National crime stats released earlier this year revealed that 12 out of the top 30 police stations in the country for contact crimes were in Gauteng.
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Similarly, 11 police stations in the province made the top 30 for community reported serious crimes.
“It is true, residents don’t feel safe and are frustrated but this is what the campaign aims to rapidly improve and only the CPF can play this role to bring the police and communities next to one another,” he concluded.
The next campaign dates are scheduled for November 11 and December 9.
