How to effectively report railway crimes
More and more commuters are affected by crime on railways and many are reaching a point where they feel helpless, leading them to take matters into their own hands. They often do this by posting a comment or video recording on social media.
© Thomas Lukassek via 123RF
Metrorail Western Cape says while this approach helps to raise awareness about incidents, it is important to also contact the Metrorail protection services, Rapid Rail Police Unit (RRPU) or the South African Police Services (SAPS) when witnessing a crime.
Report first
“Reporting crime is important as it allows Metrorail to put preventative measures in place, as all crimes need to be investigated by the police first,” says Clinton Barends, section security commander in Metrorail’s protection services department.
Visibility
“Protection officers are visible on stations and trains for commuter protection, members are also deployed at hotspots,” explains Clinton.
“Sometimes people don’t report incidents to us first because they fear for their lives, but it is important for them to call us or the police in order to respond timeously and investigate the crime. Commuters need to allow police investigators and protection services members the opportunity to investigate crimes,” he says.
Where to report a crime
When a commuter witnesses a crime, their first port of call is to report it to the nearest security depot, Protection Services or the Rapid Rail Police Unit (RRPU) by dialling any of the numbers below:
- RRPU Cape Town (platform 1) (021) 443-4325
- RRPU Bellville (021) 941-6800
- RRPU Philippi /Stock Road (021) 370-1011
- RRPU Retreat (021) 710-5129
- RRPU Radio Control/ OPS room (021) 449-4309/10
- SAPS Crime Stop 0860-10111
- Crime line Sms 32211
Full anonymity of the information sources is guaranteed and a reward of up to R25,000 is payable for any information leading to a conviction. Call the Metrorail Protection Services hotline on (021) 449-4336/5056.
Source: Metrorail Western Cape blog
