According to the media liaison for CSS Tactical, Carrie Teale, the Spruit had become occupied by many homeless people, more especially in the greenbelt area.
One of the biggest concerns according to Teale was that many of them were unemployed and loitered in the areas surrounding the Braamfontein Spruit.
“As a result of this, there has been a noted increase in criminal activities in neighbouring areas including Emmarentia, Craighall, Hurlingham, Bryanfern, and Field and Study,” she explained.
According to the Parkview Police Station commander, Colonel Nanda Moodley, five police stations including Parkview, Linden, Randburg, Sandton and Rosebank, together with other security companies and City of Johannesburg departments, formed a task force that was part of the successful operation on 17 July.
Moodley said the operation was in response to the ongoing appeals from the community to make the spruit a safer place.
“The operation focused on addressing vagrants in the area, and the police were also in search of criminal and suspicious activity,” he said.
The operation yielded the arrest of 114 suspects who were detained, while others, including women and children, were relocated to places of safety.
However, Moodley admitted that the operation would not solve the vagrant problem completely.
“Some of the homeless people who were relocated appear to have moved back to the spruit. They have nowhere else to go,” he said.
“This is why we also brought in the help of the Displacement Unit from the MEC’s office to come speak to the guys. But unless they get another place to move to, I don’t think they will leave the spruit completely.”
Moodley said the successful operation was possible because of those who took part including CSS Tactical, Cortac, JMPD, City Parks, Pikitup, Home Affairs, ADT and 24/7.
