140 businesses band together and implement a street patrol to help curb crime in the CBD
Business owners in the Polokwane Central Business District (CBD) are seemingly losing customers as they bear the brunt of escalating crime in the area.
POLOKWANE – Business owners in the Polokwane Central Business District (CBD) are seemingly losing customers as they bear the brunt of escalating crime in the area.
One business owner, Saleh Mohamed, spoke to BONUS about the challenges he and others are experiencing, saying the area doesn’t receive the same priority from the local police despite huge efforts by the Community Policing Forum’s involvement.
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“Crime in the CBD is worse than you think. The CPF in the CBD sector 1 has been working tirelessly and putting in as much effort as possible, yet we don’t get the assistance from police like other sectors do,” he said. Police patrols have not been increased despite knowing that crime is a problem, he added.
“The police station is nearby, yet when when we call to report a crime, the police take a really long time to arrive. We have on countless occasions informed the police of incidents, but businesses simply don’t have back-up from the police.”
He said the current situation has resulted in shoppers opting to visit malls, where they presumably feel a lot safer. Shop owners in the CBD furthermore are of the opinion that often, car guards work hand in glove with criminals.
“Car guards warn the criminals when the street patrols are approaching. Criminals would not be as confident to commit crimes had there been more police patrolling the area. We had far fewer incidents of crime when, for example, police members patrolled on horseback,” Mohamed said.
In an effort to bridge the gap between a crime being committed and the police reaction, 140 businesses have banded together to implement a street patrol in the CBD. The businesses all contribute a certain amount monthly to sustain the street patrol comprising 20 men.
“They don’t look after the business but rather after the customers, to ensure they are safe and are able to do their business in town without the fear of getting robbed or mugged,” he explained.
In the past, the street patrollers used to patrol with sjamboks which were taken away by the police and now they make use of batons to protect themselves.
“The street patrols are a big help, but we still face the delay problem. They would catch the thief and then have to wait for the police to arrive to make an arrest.”
Another problem is that the street patrollers knock off at 17:00, which leaves people who knock off from work late, exposed to criminals. Contacted for comment, Col Moatshe Ngoepe stated that the police are aware of the cries of businesses within the CBD.
“We will soon launch a plan of action. We have heard their complaints and we are taking action. The plan will officially be announced this week.
