Robbed Devon police station understaffed

For years police officers at the understaffed Devon police station have been locking the station's gates at 6pm every evening, fearing being attacked by thugs.

However, yesterday morning their luck ran out when they opened the gate to three armed men who pretended to be hijack victims. It's alleged the men pointed guns at the three officers at the station and took them to the safes where they stole 10 firearms and three rifles before they sped off, leaving behind traumatised officers whose four colleagues were still out on patrol. 

This scene took place at about 1am at a fairly quiet Devon police station near Heidelberg, some 50km southeast of Johannesburg, next to the N3 highway.  

According to a police officer working at the station who spoke on condition of anonymity, the staff complement at night was often between seven and10 police officers, most of whom go out on patrols or respond to crimes — sometimes leaving one officer at the station. The station services Devon, which has a population of just over 2,000 — according to the 2011 StatsSA population count. 

“On the day of the incident there were three officers at the station, and that's usually how it works at night,” said the officer. “Some of the police officers go out on patrols and some go out on calls and there is only a few left at the station.”

The station also has two security officers who patrol the building's perimeter 24 hours a day. 

The officer said for years the station adopted the habit of locking the gate after 6pm to protect the officers on night shift.  Those who need urgent help at night would have to shout for help at the gate to get the attention of the officers inside. 

The area's Community Policing Forum (CPF) executive member Micha Malindisa said the station has for years been struggling with capacity issues.

“Sometimes only one person is stationed inside at night while others are out on patrols. We have on several occasions offered that young, trained CPF members assist with patrols at the station and around the neighbourhood, but we were snubbed.

“The biggest reason that gate is locked at night is because there is just one police officer who is supposed to man the entire station. This is the first time this [robbery] has ever happened and criminals know that there is a lack of capacity and they can easily overpower those inside.”

Locals in the area said they were used to the evening routine at the station which required them to yell for help once at the gate, but were now concerned for their own safety. “We are now living in fear. If this can happen to the people who are supposed to protect us then what about us?” asked Mainki Sikhosana.

Yesterday the situation at the station was tense, with two police officers being called in for what appeared to be questioning. They emerged from the station around 1pm, about 12 hours after the robbery. 

The two constables, who appeared to be fatigued and drained, were sitting on a bench waiting to be released by a team of investigators after their statements were taken.

Robberies at police stations have been a problem for the SAPS for years without a permanent solution.

University of Cape Town associate professor of criminology, Dr Irvin Kinnes, said criminals attack police stations to get firearms to commit various crimes such as cash-in-transit heists.

He said before stations are attacked, criminals would do surveillance to understand how the station operates and when it could be most vulnerable. “An attack at a police station relates to the level of security, time of day and size of the police station. If it is a big police station, there are more officers in the building.

“There are also times when the shift changes and also when most officers are on patrol and there are very few people at the community service centre. These are the type of details that criminals look for before they attack,” Kinnes said.

He said parliament proposed that there should be CCTV cameras at police stations but he did not know how far that has been implemented.