The Brooklyn Community Policing Forum (CPF) says crime-fighting efforts in Sector 4 will be intensified this year, with additional patrols, a renewed camera initiative and closer collaboration with Brooklyn police now underway.

CPF Sector 4 chair Mike Michaelides said strategic meetings are scheduled for next week to finalise plans between the CPF and SAPS, followed by an internal sector strategy session.

“What we want to push now is the camera initiative, because crime is quite high,” Michaelides said.

“The biggest thing is our collaboration with SAPS Brooklyn. With the extra vehicles that have been received, we can start putting additional patrols in place for each sector.”

Brooklyn has recently been revealed to be among the suburbs in the country with the highest rate of car hijackings, raising concern among residents.

Michaelides acknowledged the anxiety but said the situation is beginning to change.

He said for a long time, police had the manpower but not the vehicles.

“You can’t police an area the size of Brooklyn with only three vehicles. It was impossible.”

Michaelides stated that the problem was never the police officers on the ground, but the lack of resources.

He explained that new vehicles delivered late last year are already making a difference, even though the number remains limited.

“Even if it’s just two vehicles, it’s better than nothing at this stage,” he said.

“Now that we have vehicles, officers who were stuck at the station can actually get onto the streets. Increased visibility alone helps to deter crime.”

The CPF is also engaging government structures to release additional vehicles currently stuck in state garages due to outstanding service and vendor agreements.

“Our aim this year is to have a much bigger resource base, more vehicles on the road and far more regular patrols,” Michaelides said.

He added that the CPF works closely with private security companies and the Old East Safety Forum (OESF), which he credited for playing a major role in keeping crime levels down.

“The CPF of today is not what it was 10 years ago,” he said.

“It’s too dangerous to put residents’ lives at risk by expecting them to patrol. That’s why we rely so heavily on professional security companies and partners like the OESF.”

Michaelides urged residents to remain vigilant and take responsibility for their own safety.

“Security starts at home,” he said.

“You can’t expect the police or security companies to protect you if you don’t have basic measures in place like alarms or armed response. We look after the communal areas, but residents must secure their own homes.”

He added that residents can support the CPF by acting as ‘the eyes and ears’ of the community and reporting suspicious activity promptly.

“With more vehicles, better co-operation and active residents, we are confident that Brooklyn will be safer this year,” he said.

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