Communities urged to look out for school plants more and capitalize on the anonymity of Crime Stoppers

The Police are sometimes baffled by how thieves continuously break into schools and churches – especially in tight-knit communities – and get away with these crimes, with villagers being totally unaware, says Inspector Frankie Thomas.

While hosting the radio programme Police Connections, last weekend, the Inspector remarked that not even the houses of worship are respected.

Thomas says he is not casting blame on any one person, but some of the schools that were temporarily closed for medical reasons should have had security officers on duty at the times that break-ins have occurred.

The Police PRO says cooperation between citizens, residents and officers is critical if the perpetrators are to be apprehended and brought to justice.

It is not a case of shifting responsibility from the Police Force, Thomas says, but since officers cannot be everywhere, they are reaching out to the public for help in crime solving.