Residents of Groot Aub in the Windhoek Rural Constituency have called on the police to intensify their visibility in the area.
This was revealed at a meeting between the police and the community held at the settlement.
There are more than 500 criminal cases recorded at Groot Aub in 2022 alone.
Gender-Based Violence, assault, attempted murder, rape, theft, domestic violence, house and business break-ins, as well as stock theft, are common criminal offenses faced at Groot Aub.
Situated just some 50 kilometers south of Windhoek, the settlement has a population of 15 000 people guarded and only 16 police officers are stationed in the area, assisted by a few reservists.
The Windhoek Rural Constituency Councilor, Piet Adams said there is a greater need for the Groot Aub Police Station to be upgraded to accommodate holding cells with proper accommodation for the uniformed members, he added that in terms of jurisdiction, administrative-wise, it does not make sense to incarcerate alleged offenders in Rehoboth that fall under the Hardap Region.
Residents at the settlement raised a number of challenges in the area which needed to be addressed henceforth.
"I took up with the City Police again to have a speed limit imposed, even speed traps there, but nothing has been done."
The community also claimed that the police have not been attending to many cases reported, while eight of their vehicles are broken.
Khomas Police Regional Commander, Commissioner David Indongo called for closer community-police cooperation to fight crime.
"We are your brothers and sisters and we should not expect anybody from Europe or Asia to come and do things for us, it is up to us to do them and reach a consensus or an amicable solution to our problems."
Other complaints reported to the police include the granting of bail to repeat offenders, the illegal sale of plots, buying of stolen items and sheebeens owned by some police officers.
A strong team of high-ranking and specialized police officers accompanied the commander to the meeting.