Special meeting addresses big crime concerns : The reason for high crime stats in Honeydew – Cosmo City contributes the most, police revealed.

Warrant Officer Petrus van Wyk, the commander of the Crime Intelligence Management Analysis Centre dissected the crime stats at the meeting.


An intense meeting to discuss ways to reduce crime in the Honeydew Sector 2 Policing Forum left attendees with the huge task of persuading the community to join crime forums.

This meeting, held at Panorama Primary School on the evening of 26 March, kick-started with concerned critics complaining about the lack of resources at Honeydew Police Station, prioritization issue and the accusation that CPF members are in possession of state resources.

Warrant Officer Petrus van Wyk, the commander of the Crime Intelligence Management Analysis Centre leaving the meeting.

A concerned resident stated they now rely on private security companies more than on the police and that the police seem to be prioritising Cosmo City more than any other area in the Sector.

Honeydew Police Station commander, Brigadier Anesh Maharaj responded that Cosmo City contributes 60 to 70 per cent of the crime in Honeydew. Honeydew is currently rated fourth in the country and has been second over the years, Maharaj explained.

Maharaj also explained that the General looks at the cluster and deploys new constables according to the crime. He said resources are allocated by national in their scientific way, but personally he feels they have enough resources.

CPF members were accused of being in possession of police radios. Public relations officer for the CPF, Jon Rosenberg rubbished these claims, saying that nobody in the CPF carries police radios and if there was such, that person would be charged.

The new CPF Sector chairperson Eddie Kotze (right) chats with Honeydew Police Station commander Brigadier Anesh Maharaj (left) after the crime meeting.

The new CPF Sector chairperson, Eddie Kotz, encouraged the involvement of the community to win the fight against crime. “The most important thing to remember is to always start with Residents’ Associations. The community needs to join the Residents’ Association that provides access for somebody to contact them. The Residents’ Association gives access to the Sector, the Sector gives access to the CPF and that has access to the police. At the end of the day, if we can get everyone to join the Residents Associations, we can get everyone represented at the Sector which will allow us to get everybody’s concerns highlighted all the way to the police,” Kotze explained.

Kotze also explained the relationship between the CPF and private security after an issue of accountability was raised. “There is no accountability between the CPF and private security. Yes, we all work together but the accountability is between the owners that pay the security company and the security comoany.”

Warrant Officer Petrus van Wyk, the commander from the Crime Intelligence Management Analysis Centre, who dissected the crime stats, warned residents that Hillfox and Randpark Ridge are the current hot spots for theft out of motor vehicles or malicious damage to property.

Maharaj concluded by encourage residents to make use of the police hotline (10 111) in case of an emergency, explaining that the call gets logged and you get reference no. and all calls are monitored by Flying Squad and closest vehicle responds.