Residents turn on police who arrest suspect

KENSINGTON residents, often complaining about the scourge of gangsterism, are being blamed for allowing an arrested criminal to escape after some pelted police with stones.

Police said when they were on patrol at the weekend, they spotted a well-known suspect with an exposed firearm.

When they tried to apprehend the suspect, he started screaming for help, and approximately 30 community members emerged from their homes and threatened to shoot the officers if they did not release the suspect.

Soon after, the community members started pelting the officers and their vehicles with stones, allowing the suspect to escape.

However, Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said he believed that the broader Kensington community could not be accused of assisting the criminal escape.

Fritz congratulated the police for their proactive work in spotting and attempting to apprehend the suspect.

“I would also like to congratulate them for managing to confiscate the illegal firearm. But I must also say that I am absolutely appalled at the fact that some members of our communities have assisted this known criminal to escape the reach of the law,” said Fritz.

He urged community members to work with the police to ensure that the law was upheld and to come forward with information that would assist the police to make further arrests.

Kensington community policing forum chairperson Cheslyn Steenberg called on the police to investigate the matter and identify the alleged perpetrators.

Steenberg said their behaviour was not good and conducive for the safety and security of the community, and did not reflect well on them.

Police Minister Bheki Cele said the ministry has always encouraged communities to work together with the police in rooting out crime and criminality in all shape or form.

Cele said it was concerning that some communities chose to work against the officers that served them.

“But the majority of communities do work well with the men and women in blue, and this has been demonstrated by some of the successes through tip-offs from community members,” he said.

Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is urged to contact the Crime Stop number 0860 010 111 or via the MySAPSApp.