{"id":229790,"date":"2020-02-10T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-10T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/229790\/community-called-to-join-hands-with-police-in-the-fight-against-crime\/"},"modified":"2020-02-07T17:25:31","modified_gmt":"2020-02-07T15:25:31","slug":"community-called-to-join-hands-with-police-in-the-fight-against-crime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2020\/02\/10\/community-called-to-join-hands-with-police-in-the-fight-against-crime\/","title":{"rendered":"Community called to join hands with police in the fight against crime"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forty police stations were identified as contributing 51.1 per cent of the overall crime in Gauteng, and among them was Germiston Police Station.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, Germiston police station commander Brig Nkhensani Lemba invited residents to attend a community imbizo at the Germiston Police Station last Saturday.<\/p>

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ALSO READ: Lemba in the hot seat at CPF Imbizo<\/a><\/h4>\n

During the imbizo, Gauteng police commissioner Lt Gen Elias Mawela spoke to the community about crime in the area and what they can do to assist the police in the fight against crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am here to engage with the community and show them the crime statistics within their space,\u201d said Mawela ahead of the meeting.<\/p>

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\u201cWe also want to mobilise the community and encourage them to work with the police to reduce crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my belief that if we are able to reduce crime in the 40 identified police stations, then the overall picture of crime in Gauteng will change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mawela explained that the community can get involved in the fight against crime by being more aware of their surroundings and environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cResidents need to be aware of their own environment,\u201d said Mawela.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need to be streetwise and take note of who is around them and their properties when they are entering and leaving their homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe community also needs to be the eyes and ears of the police, and report any suspicious activities or people in their community to their nearest police station.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mawela further encouraged residents to make a noise about crime and to talk about what is happening in their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWork hand in hand with the police and get other community members involved in crime-fighting projects,\u201d said Mawela.<\/p>\n

When it came to school safety, Mawela urged parents and guardians to set a good example.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to schools, we need to remember that these children come from homes, so we need to work not only with schools, principals and teachers, but parents as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to ensure we protect our children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mawela urged the business community to also help in the fight against crime by increasing their security.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut up CCTV cameras, even if their own business is not robbed it may help in solving other crimes in the area,\u201d said Mawela.<\/p>\n

Before the start of the meeting, Mawela drove through Germiston with Lemba, Renee Germishuisen (chairperson of Lambton Klip Sector Four CPF, Germiston Station and Ekurhuleni West Zone) and other SAPS members.<\/p>\n

After the drive, he mentioned that he could see the decay of the surrounding town, and could not believe his eyes.<\/p>\n

He once again encouraged the community to engage with the SAPS in the war against crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe police cannot fight crime on their own,\u201d said Mawela.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ: Germiston police tackle crime in their area<\/a><\/h4>\n

Ward 36 councillor Wendy Morgan, who attended the meeting, commented, \u201cIt is good to know that the Gauteng police commissioner is taking an interest in crime in Germiston, and I hope he will also come to Primrose.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the imbizo, the topic of police reservists once again came up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is reported that due to reservists not being able to do their firearm competency tests, as there is no funding for the bullets, reservists are not able to work and assist the SAPS.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is very sad as reservists patrol for free and are extra eyes and ears on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is such a waste of valuable resources and as the SAPS does not have the manpower to cope with crime \u2013 the reservists play a vital role in crime prevention and should be utilised.\u201d<\/p>\n