THE First WORD

2021 HAS LEFT US AND AS WE LOOK BACK THE RIOTS AND A NEW OUTBREAK OF COVID HAVE LEFT THEIR MARK ON US ALL...

I’m really grateful that 2021 has come and gone and we welcome 2022 .................but do we?

The latest police stats have opened my eyes to how much crime has increased. There has been a 60% increase in cash-in-transit robberies with the robbers becoming more violent resulting in an increase of deaths amongst the security guards and indeed the robbers.

Rape and gender based violence is on the increase. In the last 3 months 5320 rapes were reported-and many others not reported. That is 58 rapes a day. We are outraged but sadly we do nothing. Protest groups and social media comments do not lead to a decrease in rape or gender based violence. Catching the culprits and locking them up and yes throwing away the key does.

40% of South Africans do not feel safe walking outside their homes after dark

As a nation we are descending into chaos.

What makes these figures even more disturbing is the inability of the police force to combat the crime rate.

The force is understaffed with insufficient vehicles to even create a police presence. It seems that police on beat patrol is a thing of the past and even when there is a police presence the criminals do not seem to care.

We the residents need to take action. You and I need to be a part of a Crime watch organisation in our area.

I remember 10 years back we used to have couples driving around the neighborhood in 2 hour shifts, 24 hours a day keeping an eye out for unwanted guests. We had police radios and reported back to the local police station if we saw something suspicious It might be necessary to return to that.

We also need to make sure our homes and businesses are secure, and where necessary adjust our securitybetter fencing, CCTV, armed security guards and use guard dogs. When you go out for a walk or job take pepper spray and when in trouble stop a passing car or run into the first available house or business.

Home security is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Yes it takes funds but not as much as it would to replace your stolen goods, your dignity or even your life.

Personally I’m GatVol so let’s tackle the pandemic of crime together.

MARTYN J SMITHERS