Parklands community demands urgent reopening of SAPS satellite station after shooting
A petition is set to be launched calling for the reopening and resourcing of the Parklands SAPS satellite station following a recent shooting on Parklands Main Road, amid growing concerns about crime and limited visible policing in the fast-growing area.
Image: File/Archive
A petition is set to be launched calling for the reopening of the Parklands SAPS satellite station following a recent shooting on Parklands Main Road, amid growing concerns about crime and limited visible policing in the fast-growing area.
The DA said it would mobilise community support for the petition, arguing that policing in Parklands, Table View and surrounding areas has not kept pace with rapid population growth.
DA constituency head Nicholas Gotsell said the shooting was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern.
“Parklands, Table View and surrounding communities have experienced explosive population growth over the past decade. Yet policing resources have simply not kept pace,” Gotsell said.
“It’s concerning that SAPS closed the Parklands satellite police station to the public and repurposed it for administrative functions. These offices are now surrounded by a busy social hub frequently associated with suspicious characters and known criminal activity, yet visible police intervention in the area remains virtually non-existent,” he said.
In a parliamentary reply, SAPS said the facility had been repurposed for specialised units, with public-facing services withdrawn due to operational challenges and safety concerns.
Ward councillor, Jonathan Mills, said crime in Parklands was on the rise, with trends suggesting the situation may be worse than official statistics indicate.
“We are seeing an uptick in crime, and the trend is definitely upwards, and it’s probably more than what is reported,” he said.
Mills linked the increase to rapid population growth across developments in and around Parklands, while also pointing to underreporting of theft and muggings and visible drug activity in parts of the area.
He said residents were increasingly encountering open criminality, with drugs allegedly being sold in public spaces and a growing sense of impunity among offenders.