THERE’S a new Kempton Park SAPS station commander in town and his name is Brig Samuel Maredi.
However, if you’re familiar with previous heads of police stations you will recognise him from his days as Norkem Park SAPS’s station commander.
“I was at Norkem Park Police Station for seven years, from 2004, before moving to Edenvale SAPS in 2011,” Maredi explains.
Before coming to Kempton, the 54-year-old was station commander at Mamelodi SAPS for two years.
Celebrating 30 years in the force in September, his very first job as a rookie cop was at KwaThema SAPS. Since 2000, he has worked at various stations as a commander, including Crystal Park.
Assuming his new role on May 22, the brigadier has already pinpointed his biggest crime concerns in Kempton, which include drugs, hijackings, business robberies, contact crimes (such as sexual assault, assault, muggings and robberies) and other vehicle-related crimes.
“However, Kempton police already have strategies in place to deal with these crimes, so I will support those plans to ensure they are working.”
These strategies comprise police visibility on the streets and deployment of police officers to busy areas such as shopping centres, malls and complexes.
Maredi said he was ready to tackle Kempton’s crime and looked forward to working with community members and other law enforcers in the fight against crime.
“I have already met with the Kempton Park CPF chairperson, Luthando Lubando, who showed his commitment to mobilising and engaging with communities and businesses in the area so we can build camaraderie when it comes to crime issues,” he said.
So far, the new boss says he’s impressed with the success stories coming out of the area.
“Kempton police respond quickly to crime incidents, for example the business robbery which took place in Isando on May 24, where 10 suspects were arrested.”
Maredi was also at the scene of the crime that morning.
“That motivated me a lot and assured me that we have good officers in Kempton Park. And with support from the community and other stakeholders, we’ll all make a resilient and successful team.”
