A crime-awareness campaign aimed at reducing acts of domestic violence, drug abuse and muggings was held in the townships at Beacon Bay and Gonubie yesterday.
A group of 14 police officers from the crime prevention unit, led by East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala and 11 community policing forum (CPF) members, visited Nompumelelo and Mzamomhle and distributed more than 200 crime-awareness leaflets.
Random stop-and-search exercises were also conducted during a four-hour campaign that targeted homeowners, shack dwellers and the jobless.
During the operation small taxi drivers in Nompumelelo brought a two-year-old boy to police claiming the toddler had been wandering around unsupervised since 7am.
Police took the child and used a loud hailer to call on the public to help identify the child.
Then they drove around the community in search for the mother, who was later found a kilometre away from the taxi. She was reprimanded for negligence and promised she would never leave the child alone again.
In Mzamomhle, residents welcomed the campaign but stressed that there were not enough police vans at the Gonubie police station.
Nolundi Mjamba said: “We have had problems with vehicles at the Gonubie police station. We always visit the police station to report crimes such as assault, muggings and housebreakings, but we are always told that there is no van.”
Mjamba was addressing Mqala and the CPF chairman in the area, Mncekeleli Molose.
They noted the complaint and promised to deliver it to the East London cluster police management.
Molose urged residents to continue working with police.
Mqala called the campaign a success saying the visits would be held throughout East London.
Three shacks caught fire nearby during the exercise, leaving eight residents homeless.
Police called the fire brigade.
- A 21-year-old man from Sunnyridge informal settlement was taken into custody yesterday afternoon in connection with a 14-year-old East London girl who had been missing since Valentine’s Day.
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said following a Daily Dispatch report about the search for the girl, the man had called the sister of the minor and informed her where she had been “hiding” .
East London police found Samkelisiwe Yona from Milner Estate at the Sunnyridge informal settlement.
“We made the arrest around 12.30pm and the child is back home safely,” Mqala said.
The girl’s mother Fundeka Yona thanked the Dispatch for the exposure and said the family was happy to have their daughter back.
Mqala said the matter would be referred to the child protection unit and the man would appear in court this week. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za with additional reporting by Mamela Gowa
EL campaign tackles crime
A group of 14 police officers from the crime prevention unit, led by East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala and 11 community policing forum (CPF) members, visited Nompumelelo and Mzamomhle and distributed more than 200 crime-awareness leaflets.
Random stop-and-search exercises were also conducted during a four-hour campaign that targeted homeowners, shack dwellers and the jobless.
During the operation small taxi drivers in Nompumelelo brought a two-year-old boy to police claiming the toddler had been wandering around unsupervised since 7am.
Police took the child and used a loud hailer to call on the public to help identify the child.
Then they drove around the community in search for the mother, who was later found a kilometre away from the taxi. She was reprimanded for negligence and promised she would never leave the child alone again.
In Mzamomhle, residents welcomed the campaign but stressed that there were not enough police vans at the Gonubie police station.
Nolundi Mjamba said: “We have had problems with vehicles at the Gonubie police station. We always visit the police station to report crimes such as assault, muggings and housebreakings, but we are always told that there is no van.”
Mjamba was addressing Mqala and the CPF chairman in the area, Mncekeleli Molose.
They noted the complaint and promised to deliver it to the East London cluster police management.
Molose urged residents to continue working with police.
Mqala called the campaign a success saying the visits would be held throughout East London.
Three shacks caught fire nearby during the exercise, leaving eight residents homeless.
Police called the fire brigade.
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said following a Daily Dispatch report about the search for the girl, the man had called the sister of the minor and informed her where she had been “hiding” .
East London police found Samkelisiwe Yona from Milner Estate at the Sunnyridge informal settlement.
“We made the arrest around 12.30pm and the child is back home safely,” Mqala said.
The girl’s mother Fundeka Yona thanked the Dispatch for the exposure and said the family was happy to have their daughter back.
Mqala said the matter would be referred to the child protection unit and the man would appear in court this week. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za with additional reporting by Mamela Gowa
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