Cape Town – The Elsies River Community Police Forum (ERCPF) has cautioned residents of an increase in smash and grabs, and commuter robberies, on all the main transport corridors running through the area.
Highlighting how the suburb did not have adequate resources to deal with the problem, the ERCPF called on law enforcement authorities to do more.
“As community leaders in Elsies River we are becoming quite gatvol of being ignored and neglected by all our partners, that being SAPS as well as the Department of Community Safety and the City of Cape Town, and our community has to bear the brunt of the criminal onslaught on their own.
“The ERCPF has noted with concern that there has been a substantial increase in the number of smash and grab and commuter robberies on all the main transport corridors running through Elsies River.
“With the onset of winter with less daylight hours and the weather, criminals are taking advantage of increased vulnerability of motorist and commuters.
“Constant and predictable load shedding has aggravated this tendency as motorist are caught up in slow moving traffic.
The ERCPF said in the past it held awareness campaigns and deployed Neighbourhood Watches and Walking Bus volunteers to hot spots, however, that ended when funding from the City was withdrawn.
The more than 80 volunteers that the forum trained for deployment since December last year have also not been issued with uniforms and equipment yet.
“Our station as well as our sister station Ravensmead are under-resourced and cannot increase police visibility due to capacity constraints such a too few vehicles. As a result no effective policing of transport corridors are possible.”
The forum demanded that the uniforms be delivered as a matter of urgency.
Cape Times