Petros: Community can rid Gauteng of crime

2010-11-03 22:23

Johannesburg - The willingness of people in Gauteng to work with police will rid the province of crime, Provincial Police Commissioner Mzwandile Petros said on Wednesday.

"Since moving from the Western Cape to Johannesburg... day by day, I've seen people who seem to be working with the state to better security," Petros told the crowd at the Fairland police station, north of Johannesburg.

"The partnership between the community and police is strong. Sector policing is very important."

Petros was opening a trauma centre at the police station and said he hoped good policing would leave the centre empty and unused.

He commended the police station for the area's low crime rate and said it was an example of how more could be achieved with good leadership.

"There are only 80 police here yet there are 700 police officials at Johannesburg central. Small or big does not mean better," he said.

"The president had a chat with his ministers two weeks ago about accountability and look at what happened."

Petros said it was high time Gauteng took charge of its crime and he was on a mission to rid the police structures of inefficiency.

- SAPA