Anger over Masi cop station ‘in for repairs’

FOR more than a month Masiphumelele has not had a police station after its mobile station was removed, leaving residents furious at having to walk the long distance to get police services.

The mobile police station had previously been located outside the area’s community hall.

Stationed there since 2015, residents say they don’t know where to go now to report crimes or to get affidavits.

The mobile station had 20 police members, four of whom were reservists and eight public order police.

Community leader Sibongile Thabetha said they were not told why it was removed.

“It was very helpful to the community. Now residents have to go to to Ocean View to get services.

“When the mobile police station was around criminals thought twice before committing crime and the level of drug sales decreased. Without the station crime will escalate and this means drug dealers will do business freely knowing there is no police visibility,” said Thabetha.

“Police should have had the decency to tell us when they removed it.”

Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said the mobile police station was “undergoing mechanical repairs”.

It would be “redeployed to the area as soon as the work has been finalised”.

“As an alternative measure a police truck is utilised in Masiphumelele to make a policing service more accessible to the local community,” he said. But Thabetha denied that. “It is not true. There is nothing here,” she said.