Police officers in Bellville have been seeing a rise in criminals using imitation firearms to commit their crimes.
This was just one of the revelations made at the Bellville Community Police Forum’s (BCPF’s) community meeting held last week.
This was the first meeting chaired by Emre Uygun after Sean Mcleland’s departure in June. Another change was the attendance of Col William Smith, acting station commander, after Brig Phindiwe Ntungele’s recent promotion outside of the station.
Smith focused on crime trends currently battering the area. The imitation firearms are one of them. “We have arrested various people with these firearms. They look like the real mccoy.”
Another problem is criminals who break into storerooms of businesses in the area in and surrounding Voortrekker Road. Others gain access to homes by breaking flimsy locks on doors.
Remote jamming also remains a concern, with police continuously asking residents to double check whether their vehicles are locked and to remove any valuable items.
Police officers are struggling with low conviction numbers, he says, or with victims withdrawing cases, which then releases possible criminals back into society.
He says they have also seen a big rise in the number of undocumented people currently in the area.
Smith and Uygun also gave prizes to officers who excelled during the second quarter.
They are:
- Arrest of the quarter: WO Ruan Boshoff and Sgt Mario McBride;
- Shift of the quarter: Sgt Eugene Sonnenberg, Const Angel Nyandama, Const Tshepang Poni, Const Byron Burgess, Const Asanda Manyosi, Sgt Bengile Riutyana, Sgt David Salmans, Const Phila Gaga and Const Mteteleli Nyandana;
- Best convictions: detective Sgt Chriswin Lombard;
- Best administrator: Tanya Ellis;
- Biggest support to the station commander: Capt Anton “Whitey” van Zyl.
