SOMERSET WEST – While Lwandle Police Station makes headlines for critical under-resourcing, the other four stations in the Helderberg are quietly grappling with its own challenges, including stagnant budgets amid surging populations and rising crime rates.

The situation at Lwandle was thrust into the spotlight following an unannounced visit by Benedicta van Minnen, a member of the Provincial Parliament.

She found 17 detectives carrying an average of 141 cases each, with one officer for every 926 residents in a precinct grappling with high rates of contact crimes (“Lwandle’s policing shortfalls exposed,” DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 10 June).

Further investigation showed the station serves 125 925 people and ranks in the top 30 stations provincially for murders, attempted murder, attempted sexual offences, rape and sexual assaults (“Policing crisis laid bare”, 1 July).

Van Minnen, chairperson of the Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Police Oversight, called for Lwandle’s upgrade to a Colonel station and additional resources.

But she only visited one station in the basin. Gordon’s Bay, a Captain station requiring up to 90 personnel, has documented under-resourcing concerns.

Gordon’s Bay

“As for the Helderberg, I have previously visited Gordon’s Bay Police Station, and it also has requirements that need to be met, but it is not as critical as Lwandle.

“It has different needs and priorities,” Van Minnen pointed out.

Those needs were raised three years ago, when Van Minnen pulsed then police minister Gen Bheki Cele on Gordon’s Bay’s under-resourcing and -staffing.

Cele responded, noting the station’s budget would increase by 3% in 2022-’23, that no

recruitment took place due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and that the station had full vehicle capacity, but would receive an additional vehicle.

According to the 2022 census, Gordon’s Bay has the smallest precinct population in the Helderberg at 23 407 people. But Ward 100, which the station primarily serves, grew from

37 984 residents in 2011 to 47 879 in 2022, a 26% increase.

Macassar

On the other side of the basin, Macassar Police Station serves 52 420 people.

It is the only precinct that aligns with its municipal ward. Ward 109 grew from 35 116 people in 2011 to 52 420 in 2022, a 49% increase.

In the crime statistics, Macassar ranks eighth in the province for culpable homicide with six cases between January and March. DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette previously reported on two of the cases (“Nóg ‘n voetganger sterf op N2“, 11 February).

The station also ranked 23rd in the province for contact-related crime (arson and malicious damage to property) with 84 cases, 16th for common assaults (175 cases), and had three cases of neglect and ill-treatment of children, ranking 30th nationally and second provincially.

Somerset West

While Lwandle is riddled with violent contact crime, Somerset West and its satellite station in Sir Lowry’s Pass contends with a different profile.

The precinct appears 26th out of 30 stations nationally and fourth in the province for commercial crime with 209 cases. It also ranked 26th provincially for property crimes with 137 cases, 20th for culpable homicide with three cases and 28th for rape with 11 cases.

The precinct is the second largest after Lwandle with 87 624 inhabitants. Ward 15 and Ward 83 grew by 57% and 84% respectively between 2011 and 2022.

Last year the community of Sir Lowry’s Pass pointed out that Somerset West itself was under-resourced, but the station denied their claims (“Join for safety’s sake,” 14 May 2025).

Strand

The fifth station covers the largest area in the Helderberg – Strand Police Station.

The 2022 census indicates there are 65 636 people in the precinct.

It covers parts of wards 83 and 86, which grew by 84% and 54% respectively, while Ward 84, which the station covers completely, grew from 32 342 in 2011 to 43 267 in 2022, a 33,8% increase.

Strand appears in multiple top 30 provincial rankings: 17th for commercial crime (102 cases), eighth for property crimes (210 cases) and 29th for contact-related crime (64 cases). The station also has the same number of sexual assault cases as Lwandle with five.

DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette previously reported that Strand had a shortage of vehicles and three station commanders in three years (“Polisie-hoof pak misdaad met hart nadat sy Strand oorneem“, 14 January).

Basin-wide pressure

Overall, the five policing precincts in the Helderberg serves 355 013 people, with the seven wards’ population growing by 59% since 2011 to 2022 and stations appearing frequently in the provincial top 30 for various crimes.

Van Minnen highlighted the resource crisis at Lwandle, the most densely populated area in the basin, but every station faces its own challenges.

From frozen vacancies and stagnant budgets to surging populations and shifting crime patterns, the data shows resource shortages are not confined to one precinct.

While Lwandle’s needs may be most urgent, the question remains whether police resources across the entire basin can keep pace with the Helderberg’s rapid growth.