Police on high alert for lawlessness as South Africans usher in 2023

National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola says the police will continue to be on high alert to prevent and combat incidents of lawlessness as the country ushers in the new year.

“While police will be deployed to hotspot areas, members of the public are urged to be extra vigilant of their surroundings and report any suspicious activities to their nearest police station.

“We urge everyone to conduct themselves in an orderly and responsible manner as they usher in the new year, most importantly remember not to drink and drive to prevent loss of life on our roads”, said Masemola.

With the Safer Festive Season Operations in full swing throughout the country, Masemola says he is satisfied with the progress made by police to ensure a safer festive season for all people on South African shores.

The Safer Festive Season Operational Plan focuses on six areas which include preventing and enhancing police actions towards Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), preventing and combating aggravated armed robberies, enhancing border security, enforcing legislation and bylaws as well as road safety.

With the addition of more boots on the ground following the deployment of 10 000 newly trained constables, the police according to Masemola have been hard at work in heightening police visibility through integrated and joint law enforcement crime combatting operations including patrols, stop and searches, roadblocks and the tracing of wanted suspects.

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Compliance inspections are continuously being conducted by the police at establishments that sell liquor as well as establishments like second-hand good dealers including gun shop owners.

Police successes since the start of the festive season:

· 2 940 illegal undocumented persons were arrested
· 2 729 suspects were arrested for drug-related crime
· 1 284 suspects arrested for dealing illegally in liquor
· 628 suspects were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol
· 305 suspects were arrested and charged with Murder
· 527 suspects were arrested and charged for sexual-related offences including rape
· 31 suspects involved in kidnapping cases were arrested by police
· 445 firearms were seized including 7219 rounds of ammunition
· 244 stolen vehicles recovered
· 9 444 explosives were seized

Last week, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said more than 3 000 people have been arrested this festive season, as drunk driving and excessive speeding have been cited as among the major contributing factors to the ever-increasing number of road crashes.

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