More boots on the ground this festive season, the police say
The ministry and the police management team from the national and provincial service told locals they would see more officers on the ground than before.
LIMPOPO – The trust of Mankweng residents in law enforcement officials has been strengthened by national police bigwigs during a recent visit to the area.
Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale and national police commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Fannie Masemola led a programme of action called the Annual Festive Season Inspection Roadshow in Limpopo on December 5 that included a roadblock, engagements with locals at Paledi Mall and the taxi rank as well as with activists and religious leaders.
The June-September provincial crime statistics show that the Mankweng Police Station as being in the top five out of 30 stations in terms of crimes that include murder, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, sexual offences and house robbery.
In the station’s defense, provincial police commissioner Thembi Hadebe said it was because of the many surrounding villages that report to a single station.
Mathale said it was important on the day to put their planned crime prevention operational plans for the festive season to the test so that effective changes are made prior its peak, to identify weaknesses and partially reduce crime in the area.
Under the theme ‘More boots on the ground towards enhanced police visibility’, the ministry and the police management team from the national and provincial service, without divulging intelligence information, told locals they would be seeing more officers on the ground than before, assuring them to feel secure around them and report any maliciousness promptly to them.
One of the residential leaders Nelson Ramogale said he hopes the visits and engagements will positively impact their lives for the better.
“But the effectiveness of police will only be seen when the crime statistics of the festive season are released,” he remarked.
