Lemao said the operation is a combination of the use of intelligence, enforcement and deployment of a fleet of marked and unmarked police vehicles in targeted hotspots in and around the city’s highways, byways and intersections. Lemao added that since 2013, the City had been working with undercover officers in the inner city and hopes that Operation Ke Molao will assist in the fight against the increase in theft, assault, robbery and harassment at intersections.
He said the first phase of the operation has already been implemented, which involved the identification of 10 crime hotspots in Johannesburg which suffered from an increase in unsolicited window washing, smash and grabs, and hijacking. He added that Grayston Drive was one of the areas that will be closely monitored.
“We cannot continue to have a situation where motorists are attacked for their valuables whilst waiting for their traffic signals, getting onto off ramps and even on the freeways during traffic jams,” said Lemao.
The operation will see the committee work closely with the South African Police Service, Metro police and a number of private security companies to assist in combating crime on the roads.
He added, “Furthermore, we have secured the kind assistance of both the Provincial and the City’s Departments of Social Development to assist us and handle cases of vagrants and those in desperate need of social welfare.”
Lemao concluded that local residents must remain alert and help the police in combating unsolicited window washers, smash and grabs and hijackings.
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