Police call for closer community ties to fight crime

Deputy police minister Cassel Mathale has urged communities to work closely with police, as this will go a long way in combating and defeating crime.

Mathale and Deputy National Commissioners of Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, among others, led a crime prevention ministerial imbizo in Eldorado Park, west of Johannesburg.

The area is notoriously known for drug peddling, substance abuse and gangsterism. Mathale says they have managed to make some breakthroughs with the assistance of locals.

“We came to Eldorado Park and went into a particular house. When we knocked and they welcomed us in. We went to the backyard house and found guns and drugs in the back room and not in the main house. How did we know that the drugs are in the back room and not in the main house room? It’s because somebody somewhere said. When you come, don’t go to the main room house. The drugs are in the backroom house.”

VIDEO | Deputy Minister of Police addresses Eldorado Park communities

Mathale says the lack of jobs and other opportunities, especially for the youth, creates a fertile ground for criminality. Mathale visited Eldorado Park – a community plagued by drugs, violence, and gangsterism for years.

The visit forms part of a Crime Prevention Imbizo, where police management engage communities on their crime-related concerns and policing needs.

Mathale says community development programmes will be rolled out to uplift and create employment opportunities for the youth.

“The environmental design of the community where there are no opportunities it’s a fertile ground for criminality to prevail where there is poverty and joblessness opportunity for crime emerges for that to be reduced we need to deal with integrated crime prevention strategies such as creating jobs recreational facilities these are the things that need to happen for us to deal with this challenge for as long as the economy is growing but not yielding enough jobs we will sit with this problem” Mathale elaborates.

VIDEO | Deputy Police Minister leads the crime prevention ministerial imbizo in Eldorado Park