Crime rife in Bergbron

Despite numerous crime prevention initiatives by police, Bergbron residents claim that crime is still a cause for concern.

“We moved to Bergbron Ext 8 in November last year thinking that it was safe. Well, sadly we and our neighbour were burgled around 3am in our house one morning while we were asleep,” Bergbron residents Ester and Willem Van Rensburg lamented.

Ward 86 councillor Steve Kotze admitted that crime rate was very high in Bergbron, Florida Glen, Northcliff ext and Quellerina.

“We formed a Florida Glen, Northcliff, Quellerina and Bergbron Crime Prevention Forum (FNQB) nine years ago in an attempt to combat crime in the area. The forum was managed by a committee comprising a street representative elected by the residents for each street in the area,” said Kotze.

He said that gun shot could often be heard at night.

“There has been a lot of hijackings and burglaries. The crime does not stop, no matter our best proactive measures” he said, attributing the rise in crime to the reduced number of police officers patrolling the streets.

“We are in contact with Florida police station and have learnt that the police sector is losing members regularly because of the national general instruction that police numbers need to be cut.”

This means the suburbs are not being policed adequately. Equipment and vehicles are available, but there are no officers to make use of them.

“In years gone by when there were sufficient police officials, crime was low,” Kotze added.