Day or night, rain or sunshine, the fight against crime continues.
Since the end of February, Florida Police have held a staggering 17 operations within the precinct. The almost daily sweeping of the streets focuses on curbing the prevalence of carjackings, robberies of all kinds, contact crimes and property-related crimes. The operations pay special attention to the root causes of crime such as drugs, illegal liquor outlets and the persistent threat of illegal mining through regular vehicle checkpoints at Fleurhof and Main Reef Road, and high police visibility.
The month began with a seven-day month-end blitz from February 28 to March 6. Day one of the week-long operation yielded the confiscation of 30 bags of marijuana, 81 packets of crystal methamphetamine and four grams of the substance commonly known as cat. The operations team held a surprise search of a high school in Bergbron on day two, confiscating one knife, 17 bags of marijuana and one hookah pipe.
During the week, station commander Colonel Amos Tsotetsi made two appearances on community radio stations Rainbow FM and Jozi FM, where he spoke about the purposes of the operations and the relevant successes, as well as promoted awareness of GBV and femicide. Day three brought the first serious arrest when a man was arrested in connection with a rape case. Day four brought five more arrests, four for possession of drugs and one for assault GBH, while police confiscated a plastic container with marijuana and money.
The remaining three days saw three more arrests, two more for possession of drugs and one for common robbery, with a total of five protection orders being served throughout the week. Visible policing and regular vehicle check points play a substantial role in curbing the movements of criminals and redirecting their intentions. Over the seven-day period, police searched 342 vehicles and 358 people, yielding R18 500 worth of vehicle-related fines.
The middle of the month was no quieter as Colonel Tsotetsi arranged nine more operations between March 7 and 18. The operations yielded at least 14 arrests for crimes ranging from theft, malicious damage to property and possession of drugs and ammunition. All operations include the enforcement of compliance laws with five second-hand goods dealerships all being searched.
The standout law-enforcement collaboration of the month was the district O Kae Molao operation which welcomed officers from across the cluster, including uniformed colleagues from as far as Sandton, Bramley and Alexandra. A total deployment of 113 officials and volunteers manned 54 vehicles on a Saturday afternoon from 14:00 until the job was complete closer to midnight.
After a briefing and planning parade, the coordinated teams split up and using a drones to guide their efforts, the collection of brave men and women assisted with the arrest of 20 illegal miners, six of them confirmed to be illegal immigrants. Another seven were arrested; five for possession of drugs, one for possession of copper cables, and one for possession of precious metals.
All operations were planned by Colonel Tsotetsi, who requests and coordinates resources from law-enforcement bodies and private citizens looking to make a difference. Major contributors include Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, police reservists, PRASA Protection Services, Florida Community Policing Forum and the multitude of private security forces who promote the safety of their clients and community.
