- Philippi East residents claim most police vehicles are broken and say officers take hours to arrive at reported crime scenes.
- Police deny having only one van and say they have enough cars to serve the community despite some mechanical breakdowns.
People living in Lower Crossroads in Cape Town are angry about a shortage of police vans at the Philippi East station. They say only one police van is currently working.
Siyolise Qhwalase lives in the area. Qhwalase said Lower Crossroads has a high crime rate and the lack of vehicles puts lives at risk.
Qhwalase said it takes the South African Police Service (SAPS) hours to respond to a call. The 45-year-old said if someone attacks you in the morning, you could be killed before police arrive hours later.
Qhwalase said it is shocking that most of the police vans are broken. The resident wants the problem fixed before December.
Another local, Azola Mokweni, said police officers sometimes get a lift from local law enforcement officials to reach crime scenes.
Mokweni heard about an incident where law enforcement officers arrived at a scene first. They got tired of waiting and drove to the station to fetch the police.
Mokweni said some people borrow money to travel to the police station. The 34-year-old said even when people arrive, they are often told the only working van is out on another call.
Zolani Lumkwana chairs the local community policing forum. Lumkwana said most of the police vans are broken and sitting in a garage. Lumkwana asked for at least three new vans to help fight crime.
Western Cape police spokesperson Andre Traut denied claims that the station only has one working vehicle.
Traut said the police have enough vehicles to serve the community. He refused to give exact details about how many vans are working.
He said vehicle breakdowns happen everywhere and the police fix broken vans as fast as possible.
