The Reiger Park SAPS arrested 88 people for a range of criminal offences between June 1 and July 15.
Station spokesperson Constable Johannes Msimanga described the trend as concerning, raising serious questions about youth involvement in crime and the lack of accessible alternatives for young people in the community.
“These arrests are not just statistics. Each young person behind these choices has a future on hold due to poor decisions, peer pressure, or insufficient guidance. The community must rally together. Prevention is more powerful than punishment.”
According to Msimanga, drug-related arrests accounted for a significant portion of the total, with substances ranging from dagga to crystal meth and nyaope.
“Officers also responded to incidents of reckless driving, vandalism of public and private property and disorderly behaviour, all often linked to alcohol abuse.
“The arrests happened during scheduled police operations and routine patrols by the Visible Policing unit. Areas around taverns, taxi ranks and informal settlement zones were particularly flagged as hotspots.”
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In response, the Reiger Park SAPS calls for stronger youth development partnerships with community leaders, NGOs, schools and churches.
“We’re not just here to arrest. We’re here to protect and prevent, but we can’t do it alone. Some youth arrested were first-time offenders, which opens the door for diversion programmes and restorative justice, while others were repeat offenders already known to the station.”
CPF chairperson Mmapheello Mokoena stressed the importance of intervention.
“We need more programmes that occupy our youth like skills development, sports and education. Crime becomes attractive when there are no alternatives.”
The Reiger Park SAPS stressed that operations would continue, especially on weekends and during the school holidays, where idle time often leads to risky behaviour.
“We urge parents, teachers, mentors and the faith community to step in. We all share the responsibility of saving our youth from lives of crime,” the spokesperson added.
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