Complaints against the Laudium Police and it’s CPF concerning their inability to tackle the ongoing crime in the Laudium area continue, with many residents saying that police visibility is becoming almost non-existent on Laudium streets.
This follows complaints by residents that the streets of Laudium have been infiltrated with vagrants and ‘foreigners’, many of whom are accused of hounding residents for money, with some of them even timing homes, waiting for the right moment to pounce and steal. While the local police and the CPF refuse to release to the community, detailed crime stats on a weekly basis, residents tell the Laudium Sun that crime, especially petty crime has spiked in the area, despite having street security gates around their neighbourhoods. Residents also say that they are hesitant to report petty crime, as police and the CPF are seemingly not interested in the apprehending the culprits.
In one of the latest complaints of petty crime reported to the Laudium Sun for stats purposes, two Black males, driving a black Almera, are believed to have been responsible for the theft of a vehicle battery, in a gated area. The theft which took place in the late afternoon of last Saturday at around 5:30pm, resulted in the battery being stolen from a white Toyota bakkie that was parked in front of a house on Lotus Street, Laudium.
Habiba Fanie of Lotus Street told the Laudium Sun, “My brother parked his white bakkie outside our house on Saturday afternoon at around 5:20pm. However, when he went out to get to his vehicle about 10 minutes later, at around 5:30pm, as he needed to go somewhere, his vehicle did not want to start. He then checked to see what was wrong and that is when he was surprised to notice that the bakkie’s battery had been stolen. We asked our neighbours if they had seen anyone suspicious outside our house at that time, but no one noticed anything suspicious at the time. My brother later heard that there were two Black guys seen in a black Almera driving suspiciously in our neighbourhood, around that time. It was really shocking for our family because my brother often parks his bakkie in front of our house and there was never a problem before. We always felt that our street was relatively safe, as our homes are all close to each other and the neighbours usually watch out for each other, but this time, the thieves managed to steal without being spotted, even though it was still day time. This clearly shows that these petty criminals are becoming more daring and are not afraid to target our homes or vehicles even during the day. This incident of theft has left us feeling very uneasy and concerned about our safety and the safety of our belongings. The situation is really bad because if these thieves can get away so easily with stealing a battery, what’s stopping them from coming tomorrow to break into our homes. It feels like crime is increasing day by day and the community is not safe anymore, as criminals are operating freely without fear, seemingly as they know that police patrols on our street are scarce. It is very frustrating for us residents who are trying to live peacefully, but living in constant fear of being attacked by criminals. Our community needs better protection, thus there should at least be more police and CPF patrollers who are visible on our streets to deter criminals from committing crime in our area. We have community forums and security structures in place, but there urgently needs to be more action and co-ordination to ensure that residents feel safe again. If nothing is done by these structures and the politicians, crime will continue to rise, and people like us will lose confidence in the law to protect us, to the point that we will see no point in even reporting crime to the police.”
Saroj Patel of Lotus Street, told the Laudium Sun, “I heard about the theft of a battery from the bakkie of my neighbour. It was really distressing to hear about what happened, especially considering the difficult economic times we are all facing. We are trying so hard to cope with this economy, where things have become so expensive and at the same time we are expected to deal with robberies and theft. It is all becoming too much for residents in Laudium and is putting a lot of pressure on families who are already struggling to make ends meet. Incidents like these make people feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods and even homes and it is very worrying to see how frequently such crimes are taking place. We are constantly living in fear, wondering who will be the next victim of crime. It is not just about the financial loss, but also about the emotional stress and anxiety that comes with it. Our law enforcement has failed us completely and it feels like there is very little being done to address the situation. Residents expect protection and support from the authorities, but instead there is a growing sense of frustration and disappointment. There are serious concerns within the community about the conduct of certain Laudium police officers, who are accused of taking bribes from certain shops and foreign nationals, who are involved in wrongdoing. The community cannot function properly if there is no trust in the law enforcement officers and politicians. There needs to be a renewed effort to restore safety and confidence in the area. Residents deserve to live in a secure environment where they do not have to constantly worry about crime or misconduct. If nothing changes, the situation will only continue to deteriorate and the impact on the community will become very severe.”
