The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety conducted an oversight visit on Thursday 19 September at the Booysens Police Station to evaluate its efforts in combating crime in the area. The visit aimed to assess the station’s performance, review its resources, and identify challenges in maintaining peace and order in Booysens.
As part of its oversight visit the Committee engaged with the station leadership, focusing on crime statistics, and crime prevention strategies as well as relations with key stakeholders such as the community police forum, JMPD, and private security amongst others.
During the visit, the Committee commended the Station for several notable achievements. In the first quarter of the current financial year, the station successfully arrested 393 suspects brought before the court. This resulted in the successful conviction of 25 of these suspects.
Additionally, working with other law enforcement agencies, the station managed to fatally shoot three suspects who were allegedly members of a syndicate committing crimes in the province as well as arresting three others during a shootout with the Police.
The station has also been proactive in building stronger community ties through the Adopt A Cop programme introduced at 31 schools within the policing precinct.
Furthermore, the station hosted six dialogues between schools, involving 3,077 learners, to address critical issues such as bullying, gangsterism, and drugs. These dialogues provided a platform for young people to share their problems and propose solutions among peers.
Despite these successes, the Committee noted several challenges faced by the Booysens Police Station. The station is currently operating with 230 employees, which includes 154 visible police officers, 58 detectives, and 18 support staff. However, the station is supposed to have 251 employees, highlighting a staffing shortage that could affect its operational efficiency.
In terms of resources, the station is supposed to have 53 vehicles, yet it currently only has 47 with 39 operational as 8 vehicles are undergoing repairs. This shortage of vehicles further stains the station’s capacity to respond effectively to crime in the precinct.
Of particular concern to the Committee is the alarming rise in the number of murders in the area. During the first quarter of the current financial year, 13 murders were recorded, compared to just 3 during the same period last year. This significant spike in this senseless crime has raised urgent questions about the safety of the community as it translates to a 333,3% increase and raises concerns about the effectiveness of crime prevention measures.
In addition to the increase in murders, drug-related crimes, and gangsterism continue to pose a major challenge in the Booyesns area. These issues have not only persisted but demand a more dedicated and targeted approach to enforcement. The Committee highlighted the need for intensified policing strategies, community engagement, and collaboration with stakeholders to tackle these problems effectively.
Of further concern to the Committee is the high number of cases that are still under investigation which are 2050 and 2374 cases that are not finalised at court as well as the 191 cases withdrawn at court.
The Committee will continue to monitor the performance of the station and intervene when necessary to address these challenges and reduce crime in the Booysens precinct.
ISSUED BY GPL’S MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY, HONOURABLE BANDILE MASUKU
