Brigadier Brian Muller may be new in his position as Mitchell’s Plain’s police chief, but he’s no rookie when it comes to fighting crime.
With more than 30 years service in SAPS, he has worked at Muizenberg, Wynberg, Nelspruit, Stellenbosch and Milnerton police stations to name a few.
“My knowledge about the police is vast because I have been to Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces doing police work,” he says.
Brigadier Muller replaced Brigadier Mark Hartzenberg, who now heads up the Mitchell’s Plain policing sub-district, which includes Strandfontein, Lentegeur, Philippi, Athlone, Lansdowne, Grassy Park, and Steenberg police stations.
About a month into his new role, the police chief says he is prioritising gangsterism and drugs, violence against women, children and the elderly, and truancy.
The police station is working with other police units, law enforcement agencies and government departments to tackle crime strategically and holistically, he says.
“I am going to give my level best to the people of Mitchell’s Plain. I don’t negotiate with gangsters at all. If you are smuggling drugs, I will make it my mission to get rid of you. Sometimes, we deal with the symptoms and not the root of the problem. We arrest the guys with a packet of tik, but where did he buy it from? It is time that we deal with those people who are dealing in drugs.
“Truancy is another priority. Young people are our future and must take over from us one day. We are going to be doomed if we continue to have all these school drop-outs.
“I am also focusing on the old and vulnerable, and domestic violence against women and children.”
Brigadier Muller says he is continuing where Brigadier Hartzenberg left off and will deal with the gang and drug problem decisively.
“We are working with the prosecutors to investigate organised crime cases in a court-driven approach so that we can be successful so that they don’t end up being withdrawn in court due some loophole.
“The gang unit, public order policing and the City’s law enforcement officers are in Mitchell’s Plain every day. We are doing about 20 search warrants in hot spot areas per day, so, we are receiving a lot of complaints from people that we are kicking in their doors. If the community says you are selling drugs, we are going to come and see what is happening there.”
He says he has met with several community representatives during his first month in office and stresses that the police cannot stem the tide of crime alone.
“We want to continue building strong relations with the people of Mitchell’s Plain. We need the community’s assistance because I am going to be naïve if I say that the police can do it all. We cannot.
“Like I said to the communities of Milnerton, Dunoon and Joe Slovo [a few months ago], I know you don’t trust my members, but trust me. Give me information and see what I am going to do about it. Luckily for me, there was information received of extortionists that side, and my members shot and killed four [suspects]. The fifth died in hospital. That community was very happy because they gave the information to me, and I did something about it.
“I recently had a meeting with the Rocklands community, and I said to them – I don’t stay in your area. Gangsters and shooters don’t fall from the sky as if we don’t know where they are coming from. You know who these gangsters are and when something happens. If your child is a criminal, hand him over to the police and let us deal with him.
“I know people are scared because they must face them in court and testify. That’s unfortunately how the criminal justice system works. There must be evidence that links a person to the crime.”
Brigadier Muller says he is taking a “people first” approach to policing and will continue to drive this message home to Mitchell’s Plain police officers.
“Trust is a very important thing, and that is what I want to build on. Even the way in which my members are treating the public. Every evening I stand in the parade with my members, and I ask them, what are you doing in the police if you are here just for the money or treat people like they are your enemies when they come here? Then you don’t belong here. They are victims and you must assist them.
“When I look at the detectives who sit with about 500 dockets, I don’t see 500 dockets. I see 500 people who came here with an expectation that we are going to assist them and want the matters to be resolved. What’s the saying? Serve before self. Serve the needs of the community before your own.”
He says his door is open to the public, and residents can contact him freely at 060 980 3210.
