Commitment made to improve safety in Bendor and Ster Park
Residents in Ster Park and Bendor say cable theft, free movement of drugs and break-ins have escalated in recent weeks.
POLOKWANE – Policing and local government units have committed to the community of ward 21 to improve safety and security in Bendor and Ster Park.
Cable theft, free movement of drugs and break-ins have in recent weeks escalated in these areas, according to residents.
Although cable theft has increased across the city since Easter weekend, Bendor has in recent weeks seen several residents arrested for drug dealing.
On May 8, the police nabbed two men after finding them housing 11 balls and 100g of nyaope drugs, estimated at a street value of R56 000.
Read more: Bendor bust: Two foreign nationals arrested for dealing drugs
Last Tuesday, the un-officiated ward CPF summoned Capricorn district commissioner, Gen Lesiba Mashilo, Limpopo CPF chairperson, Frans Kgasago and Mayor John Mpe for a meeting to address their frustrations at the nearby Lutheran church. The three said they would actively add additional patrolling personnel on the ground.
Some community members had organised themselves into looking after the safety and security of the areas through patrols, however Kgasago promised to include them into their nationally recognised system, further requesting that more people take up the duty in order to increase the numbers of patrollers.
“The concern is genuine and we will immediately create a sub-sector forum and resource it,” he told Polokwane Observer.
The sitting ward CPF coordinator, Maxwell Modiba was stern about finding solutions and told Polokwane Observer that the once safe area is now filled with known criminals whom the community is afraid to name and shame for fear of victimisation.
Mashilo said the service would strive for police visibility and he pleaded for businesses to chip in.
“We need all the technology available to combat crime. We ask businesspeople to invest through their resources to add to what the police can already do,” he adds.
Interestingly, Mpe said the municipality is working towards the installation of crime intelligence technology that will be used to scan vehicles. These would be strategically placed in hotspot areas and closely monitored by a community services unit, he said.
