Dylan Bettencourt
A police station being robbed is becoming a regular occurrence – with the Western Cape’s Sir Lowry’s Pass satellite being the latest victim.
Three suspects held up police officers at gunpoint on Saturday night and made off with firearms, cell phones and laptops.
Police spokesperson André Traut said the armed suspects arrived at the station at around 9pm and attacked the two officers on duty.
“They disarmed the police members and fled with two 9mm service pistols, three cellular telephones and a laptop computer. The members were not injured during the incident,” Traut said.
The police report indicated that the suspects told officers they needed to have documents certified and when they were inside the station, they attacked the officers, tied them up and demanded the keys to the safe.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said it is fortunate that the police officers were not injured but these attacks are becoming the norm.
“This is compromising the much-needed services the stations are supposed to be providing,” he said in a statement.
The robbery took place on the same day that Police Minister Bheki Cele launched the Safer Festival Season in the province in which police presence has been increased to ensure safety during the last months of the year.
The Tsineng police station in the Northern Cape suffered a similar robbery in July when three men escaped with R5 rifles, pistols and ammunition.
“They asked for firearms and a police constable on duty opened the safe after the thugs demanded the keys at gunpoint,” said the police report.
