Community Safety Committee visits 2 of the top 40 Poor Performing Police Stations in Gauteng
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety recently conducted oversight visits to two of the top 40 poor performing Police Stations in the Province, Roodepoort Police Station on Thursday, 6 February, and Kempton Park Police Station on Friday, 7 February.
The purpose of these visits was to assess and address key challenges affecting crime prevention and law enforcement in these police precincts.
The Committee acknowledged the crime statistics and the challenges presented at Roodepoort Police Station, particularly the alarmingly high rates of murder and attempted murder, primarily linked to housebreaking, random shootings linked to vigilantism, and illegal mining activities.
Other serious crimes such as assault, gender-based violence, rape, robberies, and car hijacking were also identified as significant concerns by the Committee.
One of the most concerning revelations was the lack of cooperation from certain segments of the local community. In some instances, community members actively hinder police efforts by stoning and burning police vehicles when they respond to crime incidents.
The Committee acknowledges the deep challenges faced by law enforcement in this area but insists on greater collaboration with the public to combat crime.
At Kempton Park Police Station, the Committee identified significant issues related to police corruption, with certain officers allegedly collaborating with criminals involved in illegal activities such as the trafficking of drugs.
Furthermore, the station is grappling with an increasing presence of undocumented foreigners in the area, which adds complexity to the already strained law enforcement situation.
The Committee also noted the lack of effective collaboration between the Police, local Councillors, and the Community Police Forum, which undermines efforts to tackle crime effectively.
Following the visits, the Committee emphasized the urgent need for improved cooperation between all stakeholders, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), local government representatives, and community leaders, to tackle crime collectively.
During the oversight process, the Committee, in collaboration with stakeholders, identified key challenges and developed actionable intervention plans aimed at addressing these issues.
The Portfolio Committee has committed to raise the issues arising from the visits in their regular standing meeting with the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni to raise concerns regarding resource allocation and the need for strategic interventions to improve policing at these stations. The Committee is optimistic that, with the right resources and coordinated efforts, crime in these areas can be reduced.
The Committee has seen positive results in its previous interventions, such as at the Rietgat Police Station, which services the Jukulyn area amongst others, where crime has started to decrease following targeted interventions. The Committee believes that similar strategies can be applied at Roodepoort and Kempton Park Police Stations to achieve similar successes.
The committee further recognized the need for a conversation about policing in informal settlements as they present with unique challenges such as no street names, no house numbers, inadequate lighting, and other factors that make policing difficult.
For interview requests with the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee please contact: Mr Thebe Khumalo on 072 266 1021 email: TKhumalo@gpl.gov.za
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