Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Crime in places monitored by City Police CCTV cameras has reduced significantly, says City Police spokesperson Fabian Amukwelele.
In the City Police weekly crime report Amukwelele says they are proud to announce their CCTV notice boards placed at different places that read: this place is monitored by City Police CCTV cameras – crime has diminished significantly.
“Suspicious groups seen loitering in front of parking areas by our officers during field patrol and caught by our CCTV cameras, with intentions to jam vehicles using gate remotes, were lined up and profiled,” revealed Amukwelele.
He said a significant number of incidences of possible victims seen at isolated places, where they were likely to become crime targets, were detected through CCTV cameras at various crime hotspots.
He said that at such spots victims are robbed at knifepoint or with firearms. Amukwelele said that through their observations via CCTV their officers on the ground went out to forewarn and educate people.
Amukwelele encourages community members to work hand in hand to fight crime as it has the ripple effect of reducing criminal activities.
He said that according to their statistics fewer criminal activities are reported at businesses and private properties in neighbourhoods where community members work together to fight crime, or in areas where neighbourhood watches have been established,
“Mobilization of community members to raise funds and pool their resources for the purpose of community policing through environmental design is another way to keep criminals away,” said Amukwelele.
Private and public property owners as a cautionary measure should trim trees, cut overgrown grass and thick trees near their properties, he advised.
He said that following recent rainfall trees have grown branches, bushes are now thicker than before and grasses have grown longer.
“Criminals, especially housebreakers, robbers and car breakers hide in these trees, long grass or uncut bushes. The hideouts are further used as connecting points (shortcuts) to neighbourhoods targeted for criminal activities, and escape and exit spots, because they are often located in riverbeds.”