As incidents of crime, particularly car hijackings, continue to surge, members of the Harare Community Policing Forum (CPF), in partnership with the police, held an awareness campaign on Friday 28 February to caution residents and motorists on being vigilant.
Targeting businesses and other crime hotspots, the patrol started at Food Town Hyper in Town Two and moved to embengweni via the SST area, and went through Mandela Park to Uxolo High School. Crime awareness pamphlets were handed out to residents.
Harare CPF chair Funeka Soldaat described the event as part of police visibility. “We distributed pamphlets to the motorists near embengweni – encouraging them to stay alert because there is a high rate of hijacking in that area. We moved to SST, which is well known for selling drugs. And also went to Mandela Park where there is a high rate of house break ins,” said Soldaat.
She urged the community to report suspicious activities in their communities to the police.
SST resident Nomalungisa Nyabeni described the awareness as a good initiative. She said she wishes it could be something that is happening regularly.
“We feel much better when we see the police in our areas. We are not safe here. People are getting robbed in the daylight,” said Nyabeni.
Harare police station spokesperson Capt Siyabulela Vukubi described the event as a routine patrol.
“That was what we call a high density operation where we were joined by other units from other areas,” he said. “Where we have search warrants that we execute. So we go as a convoy.” Vukubi added that they do that on a regular basis.
