Rooikoppen residents came out in the numbers to attend a community meeting about crime on 14 April.
The Sakhile Police reached out to the community about the escalating number of housebreaking incidents in Rooikoppen.
The police urged residents to stop buying stolen goods.
According to them, thieves will not stop stealing when there is still a market for stolen goods. Sgt George Dhlamini, communications officer of the Sakhile Police, said people live in isolation without looking out for one another.
“As a result thieves break into people’s houses and steal almost everything including big items such as fridges,” Sgt Dhlamini said. According to him, some people do see a thief breaking into another person’s house, but turn a blind eye.
The police and the Community Policing Forum (CPF) discouraged the community from opening cases and later withdrawing it.
The police said people use the cases to blackmail the perpetrators to give them money in exchange for withdrawing the case.
This practice mostly happens in assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and rape cases.
They requested young people, especially girls, to stop walking alone at night.
According to the police, this can increase their chances of getting raped.
Sgt Dhlamini applauded the community for attending the meeting.
“This shows us that the Rooikoppen residents are willing to take a stand against crime,” he said.
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