Residents called for stronger police visibility, improved response times and increased road safety enforcement during a Douglasdale Community Policing Forum (CPF) quarterly public meeting at the Indaba Hotel on September 2.

The meeting brought residents together with Douglasdale SAPS, the CPF, the JMPD and ward councillors to discuss crime trends, policing operations and community safety concerns.

Acting Station Commander Lieutenant Colonel Moeti David Senna stressed the importance of accountability and open communication between police and the community.

Senna said the SAPS could not assess its own performance in isolation, emphasising that residents play an important role in identifying shortcomings, raising concerns and providing constructive feedback.

Read more: Douglasdale CPF Sector 1 committee elections

Lieutenant Colonel Kim Cloete presented the station’s crime overview for the past month, with reported offences including fraud, theft, common assault, common robbery, armed robbery, malicious damage to property, business and residential burglaries, theft of and from motor vehicles, carjacking, sexual assault and rape.

Fraud and theft were among the more prevalent crimes reported during the period. Residents were urged to remain vigilant, report suspicious activity and ensure that crimes are formally registered to help police identify patterns and allocate resources.

Douglasdale SAPS reported 235 arrests during August for offences including rape, illegal liquor sales, immigration-related offences, drunk driving, assault and shoplifting.

The station also policed 19 events, responded to several unplanned protests and conducted eight additional station operations, as well as six joint operations with other role players, including the JMPD and the Department of Home Affairs.

Branch Detective Colonel Willem Koen provided an update on tracing operations and arrests linked to warrants, shoplifting, fraud, theft, assault and domestic violence, malicious damage to property, negligent loss of a firearm, reckless driving and robbery.

Several convictions were also recorded during the month. Two suspects linked to 17 gate-motor theft cases were each sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment. Other convictions involved shoplifting, assault, domestic violence and possession of stolen property.

Also read: Sandton CPF celebrates women and community safety

Despite the operational activity, residents raised concerns about what they described as poor driving behaviour, disregard for road rules and insufficient visible law enforcement.

Calls were also made for improvements to SAPS response times and vehicle availability, as well as greater access to safety resources and licence plate recognition technology.

CPF chairperson Lizzy Mabena said strengthening sector structures, increasing patroller visibility and recruiting additional patrollers remain priorities. Improved communication between the CPF, SAPS, the JMPD, local government, private security and residents was also highlighted.

The meeting reinforced the importance of community participation in fighting crime, with CPF patrollers continuing to provide a visible presence and help gather and share information with safety partners.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!