Crime in the Cleveland SAPS precinct over the past year showed a decreased when compared to the previous year.
Constable Mpho Mashakane, the Cleveland SAPS communications officer, said a number of initiatives were implemented to drop the crime rate.
When the theft of motor vehicles and house robberies showed an increase, management conducted more operations and increased visibility to tackle these crimes.
Over the past year, contact-related crimes decreased and there was an increase in arrests according to Const Mashakane.
There were also several cases in which criminals were found guilty and handed hefty sentences.
This included a 20-year sentence for a man found guilty of murder and sexual assault. In a separate case, one man was handed a 20 year sentence while the other was handed a 15-year sentence after being found guilty of house robbery. Const Mashakane said reaction time to incidents has improved and is well monitored. She added that the public trust in the Cleveland SAPS is improving.
“We managed to have good arrests because of information given by community members. Sector managers are there to have a closer relationship with the community. The community must continue keeping us informed. Our goal is to have a safer environment for everyone. There will be zero tolerance to crime,” she said.
The Cleveland SAPS will increase its communication with the public and visibility to bring about better policing and a further reduction in crime over the next year.
