Crime seems to be an ongoing issue in areas such as Amandawe, Park Rynie and Pennington lately and this was discussed at this month’s Community Policing Forum.
The three most increased crimes were attempted murder, rape and sexual assault, while the top decreases were in residential burglaries, theft out of motor vehicles and aggravated robbery. Amandawe is believed to be the area contributing most to crime.
Saps members said that youngsters in the area usually become criminals to feed their drug habits. The items most commonly stolen these days were cellphones, iPads and tablets. These is because they are easy to sell for quick cash, potentially to buy drugs, suggested the police.
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Park Rynie has also been noticed as a community that is not actually reporting crimes when it can. One of the main ways to help police to combat crime is through community involvement. Not just Park Rynie, but communities in surrounding areas are encouraged to report to police any suspicious activity they may have come across in their neighbourhood, so future crimes could be prevented.
Also, if there are hardly any reports coming in from a certain area, policing will be limited or the area will not be policed thoroughly.
Another issue of concern is the number of dogs allowed to roam in Park Rynie.
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Most of these dogs are seen on the roads and not only can they cause public disturbances but, should you have a break in, your dog might not be there protecting you.
The police are also looking into doing more awareness campaigns with the community before crimes actually occur. One of the most recent and successful campaigns was on the importance of branding livestock. Another was a walk through Scott Street in an attempt to rid the town of the bogus car guards.
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