Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Over the years, Newcastle SAPS has taken a substantial amount of flak pertaining to the local crime situation.
However, are police efforts constrained by the number of police vehicles servicing the Newcastle CBD and its respective suburbs?
During the Sector 4 CPF meeting on Monday night, 7 March 2022, it was pointed out the police station’s new Station Commander, Brigadier Leon Matthysen, inherited multiple challenges. One of these is the number of police vehicles meant to serve the community.
On the evening, it was speculated that the Newcastle Police only holds 12 vehicles.
On top of this, the Chairperson for the Community Policing Forum (CPF), Rajesh Ramdaw, highlighted that only four vehicles and four sector commanders are available for sector policing.
One needs to consider the sizes of the various sectors in Newcastle to understand this a little better.
For example, sector 4 alone consists of the following areas:
- Aviary Hill
- Pioneer Park
- Signal Hill
- Hutten Heights
- Barry Hertzog Park
- Amajuba Park
- Amiel Park
- Schuinshoogte
- Sunny Ridge
- As well as rural areas including N11, R34 Memel Bothas Pass and R34 Utrecht.
Therefore, the Newcastillian – Online News turned to the Newcastle Police Station to establish how many vehicles are available? But the answers received were not so cut and dry as hoped.
Upon talking to Brigadier Matthysen, who denied the allegations, our Editor could not obtain a final figure from him as to the vehicles available in the SAPS fleet.
However, he noted, “Vehicles are deployed 24 hours to render a service to Newcastle. The amount will never be consistent due to changes in manpower, strategic deployment to crime threats and patterns.”
As this does affect the various communities significantly, the Newcastillian – Online News will persist in obtaining accurate figures and answers. But until then, what are your thoughts on the matter?
Share your views in the comment section below.
RELATED NEWS
