THERE was a decrease in crime over the festive season according to SAPS. Minister of Police, Nkosinathi Nhleko and the Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane released information relating to the successes achieved through policing operations countrywide throughout the Safer Festive Season. Both Minister Nhleko and Lt Gen Phahlane expressed their appreciation for the hard work, commitment and sacrifices of SAPS officials and its counterparts in the JCPS Cluster. The #BackToBasics operations ran from 1 October to 31 December last year.
“We have noted a very encouraging decrease in crime trends over this past festive season which indicates that we successfully identified threats and implemented actions to counteract and overcome those threats.”
“The integrated approach which enabled the participation of law enforcement agencies, including the departments within the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, had contributed towards the successes and the realisation of our vision of ensuring that all people in South Africa are and feel safe.” said acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane.
The Safer Festive Season #BackToBasics operations saw police visibility maintained through patrols, roadblocks, search and seizure operations, deployments in strategic areas specifically the malls as well as investigative operations which resulted in the arrest of wanted suspects and those who were evading the law.
During the course of the security more than 83 479 persons were arrested in South Africa with 1 060 firearms, 8 691 rounds of ammunition and 669 vehicles seized.
In the Western Cape a drug dealer was arrested with 31 000 Mandrax tablets. The Police also expect crimes detected as a result of police to increase, as this reflects a direct correlation between police actions/operations and arrests.
According to the Police some of the contributing factors included, high visibility, integrated crime prevention operations in identified areas which included shopping and entertainment locations.The deployment of lieutenant generals from head office to provinces to supplement coordination of police operations, Provincial Commissioners and other senior management taking command-and-control over operational duties and the deployment of 4 953 newly graduated police constables to shopping centres and malls.
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