Lights out at local Ga-Rankuwa police station give rise to crime uptick concern
Residents said the police station locked its gate at night due to the lack of electricity, reportedly caused by cable faults and the removal of a circuit breaker.
Picture: @SAPoliceService/X
PRETORIA - The lack of electricity at the local police station in Ga-Rankuwa has given rise to concerns about crime.
Eyewitness News visited the community, north of Pretoria, where residents said the police station locked its gate at night due to the lack of electricity, reportedly caused by cable faults and the removal of a circuit breaker.
It's understood officers created a makeshift office at the security quarters to only certify documents, using flashlights on their cellphones.
The Ga-Rankuwa police station is nestled between dozens of households occupied by families who have lost hope in the men in blue.
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Residents there described it as a busy and functional station during the day but labelled it useless and unproductive at sunset.
A community member, who anonymously spoke to Eyewitness News in his backyard, said the station's electricity crisis severely affected the quality of its services.
“They close the police station's gates at night and sometimes tell us they can't operate in the dark. What will happen if I get robbed or hijacked at night?”
While speaking to Eyewitness News, a police officer knocked on his door asking to use his microwave to warm up her food, as the police station has no electricity.