To help ensure the Cape Town Central City remains the safest CBD in the country, the CCID is calling on members of the public to report incidents of crime.
The CCID’s Safety & Security department works diligently to provide top-up services to those delivered by its primary safety partners – the City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement agency and the South African Police Service (SAPS). To ensure both locals and visitors are safe in the CBD, the CCID and its partners rely on members of the public to report incidents of crime.
Says Muneeb Hendricks, manager of Safety & Security for the CCID: “SAPS can only investigate an incident of crime once it has been reported and a statement has been made. We, therefore, urge members of the public to report crime as this is vital in assisting SAPS and ourselves as a top-up service provider to combat acts of criminal intent, determine how criminals operate and most importantly, best direct our crime-fighting efforts.”
According to a statement by the Cape Town Central Community Policing Forum, if you’re a victim of crime, you should make your way to the nearest police station, preferably the one that governs the area where the incident took place. (If in the Cape Town Central City, the nearest station would be the Cape Town Central Police Station in Buitenkant Street.) You must have a copy of your identity document or any other means of identification such as your driver’s licence. Once at the station, head to the reception area where you’ll be met at a desk by police officers in uniform. Thereafter, follow these steps:
- State the reason for your visit and be precise.
- Recall details of the incident; what transpired, where, how and remember the time as it’s an important aspect of any crime.
- If personal items were stolen, it would help to have a picture of the items stolen or a certificate of their value, or be able to give a full description of the items plus any special markings.
- When providing the officer with your statement, bear in mind that he or she may not be fully bilingual in your chosen language. To avoid miscommunication or any frustration, try to keep language simple and straightforward.
- Once you’re done providing your statement, read it. If you’re not happy with the spelling or the use of words, amend accordingly and sign as per each correction. Take the prescribed oath and request a copy. Having a copy on hand could assist you later on if required to attend court or when a detective investigating the case contacts you. It’s important to remember that by taking the prescribed oath, you’re declaring that your statement is truthful. Making a false statement under oath could result in you being charged.
- Take down the name and rank of the officer who takes your statement. This is for your own records and will be beneficial should you need to re-trace your steps.
If you wish to report something suspicious, follow the procedure outlined above or call the Visible Policing (VISPOL) Head of the particular station in the area. The number for the Cape Town SAPS office in Buitenkant Street is 021 467 8001/2.
Image by Lisa Burnell