Security expert Johan Burger says businesses owned by illegal immigrants have become targets for criminals.
|||Businesses owned by illegal immigrants have become targets for criminals, security expert Johan Burger said on Wednesday.
“The fact that they are illegally in this country makes it impossible for them (foreigners) to use the banks and they keep large cash in their premises,” he said.
Burger, of the Institute for Security Studies, was speaking at a University of KwaZulu-Natal discussion on house robberies, vehicle hijackings and business robberies.
He said illegal immigrants mainly operated in poor communities and did not have the resources to improve their security.
“Unlike other businesses which have capabilities of protecting their goods, small businesses are vulnerable to robberies,” Burger said.
Criminals were looking for easy cash at a low risk of being caught.
Burger was happy visible policing had improved in South Africa.
“I believe that police visibility has made a huge impact in house-related crimes. I am happy that we are improving.”
Visibility had improved in Gauteng and there was a need for the police to be visible countrywide, Burger said.
Although arrest rates were high, conviction rates were low mainly because there was a problem in the investigation of cases.
Burger said there was also a need for the police to sort out management and structural problems.
“We have had a national commissioner sent to prison and his replacement suspended, crime intelligence officials facing criminal charges and most all the senior managers of intelligence transferred because of problems.”
South Africa’s crime intelligence was in a huge mess, he said.
Burger commended Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa for being dedicated to his job.
“He is a highly dedicated minister, he tries very hard,” he said. – Sapa