While the festive season is a time of enjoyable activities and to relax, it’s also a period when criminals are on the lookout for easy targets – especially in the business precincts, such as malls and shopping centres.
If previous experiences are anything to go by, crime rates spike during the holiday season, with businesses and individuals getting robbed or defrauded of their belongings.
To thwart these nefarious activities by criminal gangs and organised-crime syndicates in Boksburg, local authorities have pledged an all-out effort to ensure safety in the communities they serve during the festive season and beyond.
Apart from dealing with would-be-robbers, thieves and fraudsters looking for easy targets, police in Boksburg pointed out that they are also going to decisively deal with those who disregard the stipulated Covid-19 rules, such as the curfew hours, social distancing and wearing of masks.
Boksburg SAPS
“We have devised a special plan, which will see us using all our efforts and available resources to quell crime during the festive period,” said Boksburg SAPS spokesperson Sgt Ntsako Ledwaba.
Here are some of the various measures they will use to clamp down on criminal activities in their precinct:
• Community patrollers will be along with police officers deployed at the various shopping centres
• A hawk-eyed crime-prevention team will be split into four-working shifts to assist sector vans and also respond to complaints, such as crime in progress.
• The Boksburg SAPS management will be on call round the clock in case residents are not happy with the service rendered to them or when they don’t get a response from officers.
Acting station commander Col-Lieut Ndwandwe: 071 682 5451
Operational commander Capt Dladla: 071 682 5464
Vispol commander Col Lieut Maebela: 082 461 3826
Boksburg North SAPS
Boksburg North police spokesperson Const Justice Ramaube said they will be prioritising crime hotspots, including shopping centres within their precinct.
Measures in place include:
• A newly formed crime-prevention team called ‘Takkie’, which consists of uniformed and plain-clothed police officers
• Deployment of additional members to patrol various areas. They will be assisted by undercover detectives
Dawn Park SAPS
Dawn Park police will also intensify police visibility in various crime hotspots, including malls around their policing precinct.
Police also share the following tips to stay safe at shopping centres this festive season:
• Avoid carrying large sums of money, make use of electronic banking instead
• Refrain from buying products and goods from ‘backdoor sales’ because criminals pretend to be sellers
• Stay away from dangerous or isolated areas
• Never walk in open fields alone, rather walk in pairs
• Safeguard your home by installing security gates and burglar bars
• Lookout for ATM scams
Community members are urged to report any crime or suspicious people around them to the nearest police station or call 08600 10111.
With the expected fourth Covid-19 wave, residents are reminded to stay safe, respect and adhere to the Covid-19 regulations. Taverns must be closed at the stipulated time; and people, except those performing essential services, need to be home within the curfew hours.
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