Men who fearlessly climb into the accused’s bench in court and tell their victims beforehand: “I will be a free man soon.” also give the same message.

Robberies have become a regular occurrence.

Sometimes victims pay with their lives, like Norman Arons who was killed during a robbery in Wes Street, others see themselves as lucky because they survived a robbery unscathed, like the Kruger couple from Aerorand.

How you will end up at the hands of robbers comes down to a roll of a dice.

Criminals have lost their fear of the law. Why this is happening is a conundrum not easily explained.

The responsibility for failed prosecution of crimes is often passed back and forth between policemen and court officials.

Cases struck off the roll because of incomplete investigations, investigating officers that simply stay away from formal bail applications, missing dockets and prosecutors that failed to subpoena the officers they so badly need to oppose bail, are common occurrences in court.

The public refuse to open cases:

Residents are quick to point fingers at the police for not protecting them. Numerous instances of criminals caught, only to be released on the next corner, have happened.

Many victims of crime have also complained about how police refused to open a case. But that is not always the case.

A reaction member of Middelburg 911 says that in almost 70 percent of cases where they catch someone, complainants refuse to open a case. He asked to remain anonymous.

“We have had incidents where we caught the same guy twice or three times, because the previous complainants do not open cases against him. No one wants to go through the rigmarole of going to court and actually testifying.”

“We cannot complain about the Middelburg police because they are definitely trying their best, if they have vehicles available.”

He says another problem is that the people, whose stolen goods are recovered, do not care about following through with the criminal case.

“What people do not realize, is that the guy that steals a television set tonight and isn’t charged, will steal one again next week from someone else, and we might not be able to catch him next time.”

During an incident in Springbok Street in January, the owner of a vacant house refused to open a case against a man caught trespassing on the property.

He claimed that no crime was committed and that no one would be willing to go and testify. He felt that the worst that could happen would be the trespasser would be sent off with a slap on the wrist from court.

Suspects are let go or never charged:

There is no denying that police do have to take some of the blame.

A man that was caught in the act of breaking into a house in Du Plessis Street, was taken away by police officers, but when the Middelburg Observer enquired about the status of the case, Captain Khanyisile Zwane said that no record of trespassing, malicious damage to property or breaking and entering could be found on the system. The suspect was nowhere to be found.

The complainant in the case, Cindy Steyn, was adamant that they did open a case.

“If they let him go, maybe it was him that came back on Saturday,” she speculated after recalling an incident on Saturday night were a trespasser set off her neighbour’s alarm.

Dockets that go missing and incomplete investigations:

When people do take the time to lay criminal charges, it often happens that cases are struck off the court roll because authorities failed to do their part.

On Friday, whilst waiting for a bail application to start, the Middelburg Observer experienced first hand how a matter was struck off the roll because the docket was not at court on two consecutive court dates.

The stunned accused walked out of court a free man, that is until the docket can be traced and the matter re-opened.

“But you are free to go for now,” the magistrate explained.

In another matter, robbery suspects were arrested in Ermelo, because of proactive business owners and a security company. They were caught in the exact same car that was linked to three robberies in Middelburg.

When enquiring about this case, Captain Zwane said that the suspects were let go because they could not be linked to the case.

Local business owners who were robbed, say that they have been contacted by police officers to obtain the video material of the robberies and for identity parades to take place.

Where the suspects are and what the status of the investigation is, could not be determined.

In spite of all the reasons not to, here is why you should:

Reporting crimes and taking the time to open criminal charges serves more than one purpose. The main aim is to convict someone that broke the law, but charges also help police to identify problem areas and growing crime trends.

Although there are numerous excuses you can use to fool yourself, or soothe your conscience, the alternative is just too scary to allow you the luxury not to get up and take a stand.

The alternative is that by doing nothing, you are indirectly supporting ‘the other side.’

You might be failed by authorities but that is a better option than unknowingly failing your fellow countrymen, who might be the next to suffer, because you failed to take action.

So be proactive, get to know your police sector number, become part of a radio group, the Community Policing Forum or Middelburg 911. Take a stand against crime and do your part to make sure that it becomes more and more difficult for crime to pay.