Police to clamp down on festive season criminals

With the period dubbed silly season upon us, residents are urged to be more vigilant and, report any suspicious activity to authorities.

November 24, 2023

Fanie Mthupha 2 minutes read

The festive season is upon us and with it comes concerns about certain types of crimes that tend to increase markedly over this period.

Based on previous crime reports from the last few years, armed robberies, break-ins, murder, attempted murder, assault GBH, ATM scams and bag snatching tend to increase over the summer holiday season.
In light of this, the Boksburg police have vowed to strategically deploy more boots on the ground to protect residents from falling victim to crime.

Boksburg SAPS station commander Colonel Matshedeso Mbele said in line with the instruction from the provincial SAPS, they will be conducting more unannounced operations and targeted raids throughout the period.
“We will be having increased police visibly at the identified crime hotspots, including shopping centres. Our members will be supplemented by other SAPS units from the different districts, and other law enforcement agencies including our community patrollers, crime prevention wardens, metro police, security companies and others,” said Mbele.

Mbele pointed out that their increased patrols and blitzes will be focused mainly on illegal firearms, robberies, hijackings and contraband.
Residents are also urged to play their part and act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of police.

Mbele emphasised how important it is for the public, particularly shoppers, to be extra vigilant when they go shopping to mitigate the chances of falling prey to criminal activities.
She advised residents to follow safety measures, including doing all the necessary checks when leaving vehicles in parking lots or when going away and leaving houses unoccupied.

The public is also advised to avoid moving around with large amounts of money and must pay attention to what is going on around them. Citizens should also avoid exhibiting valuable items and rather put things like laptops in the boot of a car. People must also never accept assistance from strangers at the ATMs.

New crime trend
The City of Ekurhuleni has cautioned motorists to be extra vigilant at filling stations and drive-through facilities as criminals of all kinds are out there to catch unsuspecting citizens.
According to metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, the metro has noted that many areas have become hotspots for criminality, with fuel stations and drive-through facilities at food outlets surprisingly topping the charts.

Be on high alert when you use a drive-through facility.

“Law enforcement agencies are reporting a spike in robberies of motorists at filling stations, particularly females, who are more likely to fall victim to crimes when sympathising with criminals disguising as distressed individuals before pouncing on their target.
“On the other hand, while everyone prefers the convenience that comes with the use of drive-through facilities at their preferred food outlets, law enforcers are cautioning motorists to be vigilant as criminals have recently adopted a new strategy of barricading a targeted victim’s car while in the queue to place an order and rob them of their personal belongings.

“By law, every private establishment reserves the right of entry and those who enter do so at their own risk. It is for this reason law enforcers caution motorists to always be aware of their surroundings to avoid being victims of crime.”