On Thursday, 13 May, police from all over the West Rand joined forces with local and provincial traffic officers and home affairs, community safety and environmental health officials. The sting was again con-ducted under the command of the district commissioner, Major-General Fred Kekana. It started at 05:30 when most residents were still asleep and continued until 14:00. Roadblocks, stop and searches, suspect tracing and rural safety searches were conducted as part of the action.
A total of 136 suspects were arrested for various crimes during the operation. Offenders were arrested for the possession of unlicensed firearms, ammunition or illegal explosives, dealing in dagga, the possession of drugs like crystal meth, khat and drug paraphernalia and the possession of dagga. Other offences included dealing in liquor without a licence, illegal mining and being in the country illegally. Armed robbery, common robbery, business burglary, assault GBH, common assault and domestic violence cases were also registered. Suspects were arrested for pointing a firearm, housebreaking and theft, theft, malicious damage to property, reckless and negligent driving, fraud, contempt of court and contravening a protection order.
An illegal 9 mm pistol and live ammunition, various drugs and dagga and money were confiscated. Fifty-eight traffic fines totalling R48,400 were also issued.
When addressing the parade before the start, Kekana warned members against any form of corruption and encouraged them not to compromise their safety when executing their duties. He warned the officers to continue protecting themselves and the community against Covid-19 by wearing their masks properly, sanitising their hands after every search and washing them regularly with soap and water.
During the operation, national road regulations were addressed in two roadblocks in Carletonville and Khutsong. Suspect tracing and rural safety were also conducted through crime prevention stop and searches.
As burglaries are currently a big problem in Carletonville and Khutsong, the police offered prevention guidelines.
1. Make your home appear occupied and make it difficult to break in.
2. Lock all outside doors and windows before leaving the house or going to bed.
3. Keep your garage door locked.
4. Don’t allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or flyers to pile up while you are away. Arrange with the post office to hold your mail or ask a friend or neighbour to collect it regularly.
5. Arrange for your lawn to be mowed if you are going away for an extended time.
6. Check the locks on doors and windows and replace them with secure devices as necessary.
7. Push-button locks on doorknobs are easy for burglars to open. Instal deadbolt locks on all your outside doors.
8. Sliding glass doors are vulne- rable. Special locks are available for better security.
9. Some windows may need stronger locks. Check with a locksmith or hardware store for alternatives.
10. Don’t share your vacation plans on social media.
