In a crackdown against gang-related crime in the Western Cape, police have made substantial progress since April, arresting 722 individuals associated with organised crime and seizing more than 1,500 illegal firearms, Cape {town} Etc reports.
The efforts are part of a concerted initiative to dismantle gang activities in hotspot areas, a move highly praised by the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola.
According to Masemola, the reallocation of police resources has proved fruitful, with nearly 1,000 officers deployed to key hotspots across the region on a daily basis. This includes 800 police officers from both SAPS and the City of Cape Town, supplemented by 182 additional officers from the Head Office.
This robust force operates under an extensive framework, which sees more than 9,000 officers stationed across 62 police precincts in Cape Town alone.
‘Our collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders has resulted in considerable inroads into disrupting organised gang-related activities. We have seen many successes, including arrests in notorious areas such as Mitchell’s Plain, Mfuleni, Delft, and Manenberg,’ Masemola stated.
The fight against drugs remains at the forefront of law enforcement’s objectives.
In total, over 54,947 suspects linked to drug-related offences have been apprehended since the beginning of the period, with 2,296 of those specifically charged with dealing in drugs. The operation has also seen a tragically high number of gang-related violence, with 96 murders and 60 attempted murders reported.
The police have intensified their efforts in firearm regulation, resulting in a staggering seizure of 1,565 firearms and 39,371 rounds of ammunition. These figures underline the ongoing threat posed by armed gangs and the critical need for decisive law enforcement actions.
Masemola attributed much of this success to the deployment of 2,408 newly trained officers to various units across the province since 2021. ‘We will continue to prioritize bolstering our resources here in the Western Cape,’ he affirmed.
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Furthermore, he emphasised the importance of community support, highlighting the role of Community Policing Forums (CPFs) in fostering stronger ties between law enforcement and local communities. ‘We remain committed to forging solid partnerships to end this cycle of violence,’ he added.
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Picture: Gallo Images / Frennie Shivambu
