All on board in tackling crime around Fairland

FAIRLANDS – A heavy police and security presence can reduce crime.

June 6, 2018

Andile Dlodlo 1 minute read

Fairland police and Beagle Watch armed response officers regularly hold operations were the patrol suburbs such as Fairland, Northcliff and Blackheath.

Police, security companies and residents joined together to ensure the safety of their community.

Fairland police have partnered up with local security companies and residents to ensure the safety and security of the area.

Constable Moloko Kgatla, communication officer for the station, said they schedule random yet strategic operations that have them patrolling the area.

Due to the high incidents of bogus service vehicles breaking into house, Fairland police also question such incidents whenever they come across them.

Fairland Saps Constable Moloko Kgatla confiscates beers found in a bin at Fairland Park. Kgatla believes these beers were being illegal sold at the park.

He said, “We set up roadblocks on particular roads and stop particular vehicles that have been flagged by the police.”

With a convoy of police and security company vehicles, they also drive through the suburbs of Northcliff, Blackheath, Fairland and Cresta and also visit crime hotspots such as shopping centres.

Kgatla explained the benefits to these operations, “We show the community and potential criminals that we are around. It makes it harder for criminals to execute their plans as they don’t know if we are still in the area or coming back randomly.”

A roadblock set up by Fairland police and Beagle Watch to reduce and combat crime in the area.

In an operation on 1 June, they were joined by Beagle Watch Armed Response. Later that evening they had another operation but this time with their newly formed patrollers’ group.

The group is the collection of residents who work hand-in-hand with the police to keep the area crime-free.

As the convoy weaved through the streets of Fairland they made a stop at Fairland Park where they discovered the illegal sale of liquor.

Ten bottles of beer were discovered by one of the Beagle Watch response officers in a concrete bin.

At the time the park was active with people but no one would claim the bottles due to the fear of being arrested.

The ice-cold beers were confiscated by the police to be destroyed at the station. Kgatla said, “Today it is beer, tomorrow it could be drugs or weapons so we need to keep doing these operations.”