Criminals beware – SAPS
Criminals will soon find it more difficult to evade arrest and continue with their activities, as the Benoni policing cluster will set up two more task teams to address crime.
A handful of members will be selected to head a task team dedicated to eradicating drugs and prostitution, while another will be tasked to focus on stop-and-search operations within the cluster.
The cluster consists of the Benoni, Crystal Park, Actonville, Etwatwa, Daveyton and Putfontein police stations.
The announcement was made after the release of the crime statistics for the period April 2014 to March 2015.
Brig Poobalan Subbiah, Benoni SAPS acting cluster commander, told the City Times drugs are the cluster’s “biggest concern”.
He will select a handful of members to investigate drug-related crimes and prostitution.
The task team will be bolstered by the assistance of the Hawks and the national forensic unit.
“I want people who are strong and won’t be open to corruption,” said Subbiah.
The team will aim to arrest the “big fish” responsible for bringing drugs into Benoni.
Subbiah said the second task team will “inundate the community with stop-and-searches”.
The members will target hot spots such as taxi ranks, train stations and corridors used by criminals.
They will hit numerous areas within the cluster in a short space of time.
This team will also be equipped with a finger print reading device that will enable members to scan motorists to determine whether they are wanted by the police.
Subbiah is hoping to build on the success of the cluster priority task team he set up in August, to “hunt” violent criminals within the cluster.
The team of 11 “dedicated” and “fearless” officers have already started reaping rewards of dedicated work.
Crime statistics for the Benoni cluster from April 2014 to March 2015 are:
- Murder
A total of 174 cases of murder were registered, two cases less than for April 2013 to March 2014.
Subbiah said the majority of these cases involve illegal miners and that the SAPS are working with various role players to address the situation.
Police have started arresting suspected illegal miners (predominantly in Kingsway) after infiltrating areas where they process gold dust above ground.
- Common robbery
Subbiah said the 435 cases recorded in the April 2014 to March 2015 period is a concern.
There were 44 more cases than in the previous year.
He said police have been making a lot of arrests relating to common robbery.
- Robbery with aggravating circumstances
There were 13 more cases of robbery with aggravating circumstances from April 2014 to March 2015, compared to the period April 2013 to March 2014.
Subbiah said the task team members dedicated to hunting violent criminals are making big strides, which should see a reduction in this type of crime.
“The message has gone to SAPS members, the general public and criminals,” he said.
“Criminals should beware and we are taking them down nice and hard.”
- Theft out of or from a motor vehicle
There were 45 fewer cases in the period April 2013 to March 2014, than from April 2014 to March 2015.
The acting cluster commander said people can further reduce this figure by not aiding beggars, many of whom are to blame for these crimes.
“Our problem is that, when people support beggars on the street, they have to open their window to give something,” he said.
“When they do that they open themselves to become a victim of crime.”
He added that people are also to blame for not concealing valuables in their vehicles.
To get a breakdown on the crime stats in your policing precinct, visit www.saps.gov.za.
