Angry resident accuses Douglasdale Police Station Commander of neglect
The resident feels that the station commander, Brigadier Veeshani Arikum, has neglected her case of house robbery, and claims that she was asked to delete footage.
*In a previous version of this article, Fourways Review used the headline Angry resident accuses Douglasdale station commander of protecting robbers caught on CCTV, and made reference in the teaser to her reportedly deleting evidence. The Fourways Review understands that this could be misleading and apologises to Arikum and the community. The story has since been updated. Further updates will follow as they become available.
Douglasdale Police Station’s Brigadier Veeshani Arikum’s apparent complacency has angered residents.
If you browse online, there are many comments about how she fails to address matters and complaints from residents, who often resort to tagging the national South African Police Service (SAPS) page to complain about how ‘mind boggling’ it is to even go to the station. And she is not fighting the allegations.
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“I said everything I wanted and had to say during the Community Policing Forum (CPF) meeting. I will not answer anything else.” That was her response to Fourways Review after Anneloe Drury, who opened up about her house burglary during the CPF public meeting, said she did not get any help from Arikum, or her team, after reporting the incidient.
On January 24, three men invaded Drury’s home, driving a white Hyundai Getz, with intentions to steal. Drury said they stole laptops, expensive jewellery, a television, and other home appliances.
The thieves were caught on camera and can be seen loading the stolen goods into their vehicle. She said it is now seven weeks, and she still hasn’t even heard a word from an investigating officer handling her case.
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Drury took matters into her own hands, hoping to get answers, attending the CPF meeting, held on March 5 at the Indaba Hotel, to discuss safety issues affecting residents within the Douglasdale policing precinct.
Arikum, during the meeting, highlighted house break-ins to be one of the current crime trends and activities within the policing precinct.
During the question and answer session, Drury raised her case to the brigadier, accusing the station commander of showing ‘zero empathy’ after responding to the incident at her residence.
“The very same empathy you showcased publicly during the CPF meeting was absent when it mattered most. Your attention seemed more focused on your mobile device than the ongoing investigation.”
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She said that after the theft, when she sought to share her CCTV footage with a member of the CPF, the police commander allegedly requested that the footage be deleted to abide by the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) as it might jeopardize the case.
“There was no concern of the POPI Act as the intruders had already violated my home and privacy. Their behaviour showed they were aware they wouldn’t be caught.”
The robbers can be seen in the footage chilling and even teasing the CCTV camera, seemingly unfazed by their criminal acts.
Drury is also worried about the safety protocols in place at the police station, particularly noting that her personal information had been compromised.
“Somebody called me and gave me full details of everything in a police docket, from my ID, to the list of things that I lost, in 100% detail. Asking for money to help me bring the things back. My question is: Is the POPI Act not applicable in this context? The safety of our community is in the hands of someone with such an attitude. God help South Africa and its citizens,” said Drury.
Drury resorted to posting on social media to express her frustration, tagging the national SAPS on Facebook, and detailing her feelings of neglect and the lack of urgency during a traumatic time for her family.
Before going to print, Drury said she received a call from the police station regarding the case.
An update will be given if more information becomes available.
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