Mitchell’s Plain police chief Brigadier Jan Alexander speaks to Rocklands residents. With him are Law Enforcement inspector Rene Flink and Prasa protection section security commander Gerhard Adams.
More police visibility is needed along commuter routes and the public must stop buying stolen goods because it fuels crime and costs communities more in the end, say Rocklands residents
The issues were raised during a meeting near the Kapteinsklip train station last Friday when about 50 residents discussed safety concerns with law-enforcement representatives.
A woman who did not want to be named asked who permitted scrapyards to be opened in residential areas because they made it easier for criminals to sell stolen goods.
Luyanda Fauli, who lives near the train station, said his copper tap had been stolen that morning and he had woken up to water gushing.
“It was not nice waking up to hear your water flow away. This is going to cost me more than what the thief is going to get,” he said. “They are selling these things for next to nothing.
“These things are affecting our pockets. Refrain from buying stolen goods. It is a concern for me. It can affect anybody.”
Others at the meeting asked the police to be more visible along commuter routes.
Mitchell’s Plain police chief Brigadier Jan Alexander called on the residents to join their neighbourhood watches, street committees and other safety structures to help turn the tide against crime.
Rocklands sector commander Captain Mornay Kleinhans said they were checking that scrapyards were compliant, but that the municipality issued licences for them to operate. He added that police patrols would be increased in the morning.
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) protection section security commander Gerhard Adams said they were hoping to have the trains running in Mitchell’s Plain by June following repairs to vandalised rail infrastructure.
A resident responded saying Prasa needed to wall off the railway line and come up with a plan to prevent further vandalism in future.