Crime: Glen Marais, Aston Manor residents want to march
Glen Marais community has planned a march for July to voice their concerns.
A community meeting about crime at the Old Apostolic Church on Wednesday evening last week was filled with a lot of emotions.The meeting was aimed at addressing crime in Glen Marais and Aston Manor and concerned residents filled the hall to capacity.
Kempton Park SAPS also attended the meeting called by ward councillor Jaco Terblanche.
Although the meeting was primarily about addressing crime in the area, another topic that was discussed was the informal settlement on Dann Road.
Residents wanted to know how far the eviction process was and when the squatters would be evicted.
Concerns raised by residents regarding the camp included:
• More shacks being erected and more people moving in.
• Property value dropping because of the informal settlement.
• An increase of crime in the area.
• Amount of smoke emitted from the settlement.
Terblanche said proper procedures should be followed.
“The matter is in court and we have to allow and follow the legal procedures. We need to put pressure on the metro to ensure that the Department of Human Settlement’s report regarding relocation is on time for court.”
Brig Samuel Maredi, station commander at Kempton Park SAPS, agreed with Terblanche.
“The police can’t go in and remove the squatters, it is against the law. Proper procedure must be followed,” said Maredi.
House break-ins and hijackings were among the crimes stressed during the meeting and Maredi shared advice and ways to help reduce these crimes.
“To reduce house break-ins, the community can look at a domestic workers forum where they can create a Whatsapp group where they can communicate and alert each other of suspicious activities in the area. Domestic workers also need to be vigilant and not allow strangers onto the property without the owner’s permission.
“Regarding hijackings, we urge motorists to be alert as these incidents often happen in the driveway while waiting for the gate to open. Be observant when you are driving, check if vehicles have been following you. If you suspect you are been followed, try changing your normal route home and see if you are still being followed.”
Community members were encouraged to find different ways to get rid of their appliance boxes as opposed to putting it outside the yard. This puts your newly bought items on display and serves as an indication of the bought item/s.
The lack of police presence was also addressed.
“We do patrol the area and police will be more focused on the area that is contributing the most crime. This doesn’t mean we will ignore those with less crime but more visibility will be in the most problematic areas.”
It was also heard at the meeting there will be a community march in July to deliver a memorandum to Kempton Park SAPS.
Terblanche also attended to service delivery problems such as wheelie bins, refuse removal and speed humps.
