In a joint operation, Bellville police, neighbourhood watches and the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District, cracked down on crime in the area last Friday.
Officers and watch members split into groups, patrolling from Voortrekker Road at Jip de Jager, all the way through to Stikland cemetery, concentrating on the CBD, Parksig Villas (known for drugs and prostitution), Tielman Marais Park (used by drug users) and Oakdale.
During the operation on Friday March 24, officers arrested two people for possession of dagga and tik.
Bellville police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Henrietta van Niekerk said very little crime had been reported during the operation.
Bellville police station commander Brigadier Andre van Dyk said: “The 22 established neighbourhood watches in Bellville play an important role in keeping our residential areas safe. The decrease in crime in the broader Bellville area must be contributed to the excellent work done by our neighbourhood watches and the city improvement districts working in partnership with the police.”
The officers also checked the licences of various clubs along Voortrekker Road and shut down an Oakdale pub for the night for not complying with its liquor licence.
Warrant Officer Van Niekerk said police checked clubs regularly for under-age drinking and other liquor licence transgressions.
Common robbery and thefts from cars in the Voortrekker corridor were still a problem as were drug dealing and prostitution at Parksig Villas.
“We have regular visible crime policing at Parksig, especially on a Friday night. When they see the police, they usually take off but for the time we are there we deter any criminal activity,” she said.