Police station robberies: Inside info allowing criminals to outsmart cops

Experts say police stations will continue being targeted by criminals if there is no change of leadership at the top.

The comments come after the Devon police station in Ekurhuleni was robbed on Wednesday by three men who allegedly entered the station, pretending they were reporting a hijacking. The suspects disarmed the members, making off with three rifles and seven pistols that were in the safe.

On 4 September, two armed robbers attacked Grootvlei police station in Mpumalanga, and took three pistols, an R5 rifle and 180 rounds of ammunition. Tsineng in Northern Cape was robbed of two shotguns, three R5 rifles, 10 pistols, as well as ammunition and magazines on 31 July.

On 16 June, an unspecified number and type of firearms were stolen from Kwaggafontein police station in Mpumalanga.

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On 21 November, 2021, armed robbers locked police members in the back of one of their own vans at the Malamulele police station, before making off with an unspecified number of R5 rifles, pump action shotguns, pistols and ammunition. Three R5 rifles and at least one pistol were recovered when 10 suspects were arrested. These are just some of the recent incidents.

Action Society’s Ian Cameron said it was an “absolute atrocity” police stations were being robbed and the police minister dared to attack firearms rights, while police cannot safeguard theirs.

Cameron said the SA Police Service (Saps) had, over the past 12 to 15 years, lost – or had stolen from them – over 26 000 firearms and millions of rounds of ammunition. Police stations had become easy targets for criminals.

“They have become soft targets and have lots of firearms and ammunition. The police are being numbed by incompetent senior leadership and senior members who are part of Saps. If the leadership does not change, nothing will change on ground level.”

He also raised concerns about police not being able to keep a watchful eye when on duty.

“The other night I walked into a police station in Cape Town, and two constables sitting in the charge office both had their backs to the door and they were busy watching videos. Discipline is broken and I think many of our cops are sitting ducks. I don’t think they would know how to even handle a situation if a police station was to be attacked.”

Criminals often have inside information

Lizette Lancaster of the Institution for Security Studies said because police stations were publicly accessible places and carry high-value items such as firearms, they were being targeted by highly organised gangs. She said criminals were outsmarting many, including security companies.

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“They have the element of surprise on their side and they often have inside information. They also have the time to plan this. You need to come up with a systematic approach to deal with these matters.”

Police are yet to respond to The Citizen’s questions.