Units Involved

• Axon Security
• CSI Security
• Emer-G-Med EMS
• Fidelity-ADT Security
• Fidelity Services Group
• Gauteng Traffic Wardens STT Unit
• Hatfield CID
• Interactive Security
• Old East Safety Forum
• SafeTNet

Report

This morning, first responders from the Old East Safety Forum and its partners received an alert for a wanted vehicle involved in the theft of Volkswagen headlights in parking areas. The alert was for two cases in the Brooklyn policing precinct on Brooklyn CAS ***/02/2025 and Brooklyn CAS **/03/2025.

The suspect vehicle was seen entering a parking area in the Hazelwood area. Once it parked, two suspects, were detained, along with breaking equipment and false number plates.

After further investigation, and camera footage that tied the suspect vehicle to the crime, the two suspects confessed that they stole headlights earlier in the week.

Brooklyn SAPS were called to the scene but declined to arrest the suspects or even take them for profiling, as, according to the officers, there was not enough evidence.

Thanks to the perseverance of the Gauteng Traffic Wardens, who provided assistance where Brooklyn SAPS wouldn't, further investigations were conducted, and information was followed up on; the stolen headlights of the previous thefts were recovered in the Hercules area.

We want to commend the Gauteng Traffic Wardens on the work done in this incident. They go above and beyond in combating crime, especially in the Brooklyn policing precinct, which has the highest motor vehicle theft rate in South Africa.

This incident, one of many where Brooklyn SAPS has declined to arrest suspects likely involved in crimes, raises serious concerns about whether the station is truly committed to reducing crime in the Brooklyn precinct. It furthermore points towards serious management deficiencies.

Old East Safety Forum and its partners will continue to assist our community in making the Old East a safer place for all, with or without the help of Brooklyn police station.