The newly launched Integrated Intelligent Operation Centre (IIOC) Reaction Unit in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is yielding positive results.
The unit arrested five suspects for cable theft in the early hours of Monday 29 July. All five suspects have been detained at Johannesburg Central Police Station and are expected to face prosecution.
This comes after suspicious activity was spotted on the City’s CCTV network by an IIOC operator who immediately alerted JMPD.
According to a statement from the MMC of Public Safety, councillor Michael Sun, the IIOC Reaction Unit was on scene within minutes and gave chase to the suspects who fled in a taxi.
JMPD officers were then able to corner the fleeing suspects on the corner of Nugget and Jeppe streets.
They recovered the stolen copper cables with an estimated value of R60 000 which were already cut into 206 pieces of two metres each. “We are seeing criminals after criminals being nabbed in the city as a result of the synergy between our operators in the IIOC and JMPD IIOC Reaction Unit officers on the ground. This is the kind of corroboration we expect when there is a perfect match between technology and policing,” said Sun
The IIOC Reaction Unit had already made over 150 arrests for crimes relating to robbery, hijacking, theft and possession of unlicensed firearms within two months in operation.
The unit focuses on crimes through CCTV monitoring specifically in the inner city. Recently, the unit was able to save a woman from being raped when the incident was spotted on CCTV.
“I want to thank our tireless IIOC operators who are the unsung heroes in the fight against crime and our dedicated JMPD officers for their quick response in apprehending criminals,” said Sun.
Details: City of Joburg 011 375 5911.
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Police arrest five suspects for possession of stolen copper cables
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