Operation Shanela yields results in Roodepoort

Roodepoort police, in collaboration with police officers from other police stations in the Johannesburg district, came together on June 13 to conduct a successful crime prevention operation in the Roodepoort area.

Operation Shanela is an ongoing high-visibility crime prevention operation run by police.

“It was all boots on the ground,” says Captain Yuanita Yorke of the Roodepoort police.

“Our officers worked with other operational units such as Public Order Policing and infrastructure teams from the police and their counterparts from Gauteng Traffic, Crime Prevention Wardens, Department of Home Affairs, and Tracker. By the end of the day, 51 people were arrested.”

During the operation, 515 vehicles were searched and 23 traffic fines were issued, valuing R19 000.

The members also searched 28 premises and a total of 2 797 persons were searched.

Three liquor premises were visited and two were closed for illegal activity and non-compliance, sending out a stern warning to business owners that police have zero tolerance for lawbreakers.

Numerous items were confiscated during the operation and were all booked into the police’s 13 storerooms.

The perpetrators were arrested for various cases, including possession of suspected housebreaking equipment and poison, common assault and malicious injury to property, dealing in liquor without a license, employing an undocumented person, unlawful use and or possession of drugs, and undocumented persons.

All of those arrested have been charged and were detained at Roodepoort Police Station and will appear in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court in due course.

Yorke has urged residents to report crime to their local police station, adding that anyone can report crime anonymously by contacting the Crime Stop toll-free line on 08600 10111, or by utilising the MySaps App, downloadable on any smartphone.

“All information received will be treated with the utmost professionalism and confidentiality,” she adds.