Just where are the Laudium CPF and their patrollers, other than taking photos and having breakfast with politicians?
This is the question many residents are asking about the CPF, more commonly referred to by some residents as ‘glorified car guards,’ as crime continues in the area.
While local residents live in fear due to the ongoing crime, the Exco of the CPF, many of whom are active members of the ANC, seem to be more focused on promoting the election campaign of ANC Ward Councillor Naeem Patel.
This follows another week of residents once again complaining to the Laudium Sun about crime in the area.
In one of the latest incidents, a mother and her son were accosted by armed thugs on the gated street area of 7th Avenue, Laudium. The thugs robbed the pair last Sunday afternoon at around 5pm as the mother, Firoza Ismail and her son were entering their property.
entering their 7th Avenue home in a gated street area.
As the front gate was being opened for them to enter the property, two Black males accosted the pair, pointed firearms at them and demanded that they hand over all their valuables.
Out of fear of being harmed, the pair surrendered their cellphones and some cash they had on them with the thugs then fleeing the scene on foot without being spotted by the police or CPF patrollers.
Firoza told the Laudium Sun, “On Sunday afternoon, my son and I were returning from a family gathering in Johannesburg. We were in our car and as we approached our house and stopped at the gate, everything seemed normal. We opened the gate so that we could drive into our yard but at that very moment, two Black males suddenly approached us. We were still outside the house when one of the thugs showed us a firearm and pointed it directly at us. It all happened very quickly and we were caught completely off guard. We were both terrified and did not know what to do. The suspects demanded our belongings and out of fear for our lives, we co-operated immediately. They took our cellphones and an amount of cash before running away from the scene. It was a very frightening experience for both of us. You never expect something like this to happen right outside your own home. What makes it even worse is that it feels like we are not safe anywhere, not even inside our own property or just outside it. This robbery has left us shaken and deeply concerned about our safety. Our street is gated and we believed that this would provide some level of security. However, this incident has shown that criminals can still gain access at any time and carry out such crimes without fear. It is extremely worrying for residents who rely on these safety measures to protect their families. What is also concerning is the lack of visible policing in the area. We hardly ever see any police patrol vans or any other patrollers on our street and this makes us feel very vulnerable. There needs to be more action taken to ensure the safety of the community. Residents should not have to live in constant fear of being attacked or robbed. This has been a truly bad experience for us and it is something we will not easily forget. We hope that by speaking out, more attention will be brought to the issue of crime in our area and that authorities, including the police, the CPF and the politicians, will take the necessary steps to improve safety for all law-abiding residents living in the area.”
Sahil Patel, also of 7th Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “I heard about the robbery at my neighbour’s property and it is truly frightening. The fact that something like this can happen in our area, especially on a gated street, is very concerning. We rely on these security measures to give us some level of protection but incidents like this show that crime is increasing day by day and that we are not as safe as we believe. It is extremely disappointing because it feels like nothing is being done to address the crime situation. The police presence in our area is very limited. We hardly ever see any patrol vehicles on our streets. Even the local CPF Community Patrollers do not seem to be active enough. It gives the impression that those responsible for keeping our community safe are not doing their jobs properly. To be honest, it feels like Laudium is slowly falling into the hands of criminals. They seem to operate without fear, choosing when and where to strike without any hesitation. Criminals are becoming more bold and confident because they know there are very few consequences for their actions. This is what makes the situation even more dangerous for residents.”
7th Avenue resident, Priya Singh, told the Laudium Sun, “We cannot continue living like this, constantly worried about our safety and the safety of our families. There needs to be stronger action from the police and community safety structures and also from the politicians.
“Increased patrols and visible policing are urgently needed to restore confidence in the area. If nothing is done, crime will only continue to rise and more residents will become victims. This is a serious issue that needs immediate attention before crime gets completely out of control.”
The Laudium Sun understands that while the area around 7th Avenue has street gates, these gates, like street-gated areas in other parts of Laudium and Erasmia, are no longer being monitored by security guards as many residents living within the gated areas have refused to pay their monthly subscriptions to the said security companies.