Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers have confiscated 14 firearms and arrested 1 097 individuals between 4 and 31 March, according to a recent press statement released by the Western Cape Government (WCG).
LEAP stems from the Western Cape Safety Plan (WCSP), which is an initiative of the WCG in partnership with the City of Cape Town.
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The 14 weapons that were confiscated include:
- 1 Pistol in Atlantis
- 1 Pistol, 1 revolver and 1 zip gun in Bishop Lavis
- 1 Pistol in Delft
- 1 Pistol in Gugulethu
- 1 Pistol in Khayeltisha
- 1 Zip gun in Mfuleni
- 1 Pistol and 2 zip guns in Mitchells Plain
- 1 Pistol in Nyanga
- 2 Pistols in Philippi (Hanover Park)
Of the 1 097 individuals arrested, 826 individuals were arrested for the following:
- 10 for the possession of illegal firearms
- 16 for the possession of imitation firearms
- 64 for the possession of dangerous weapons
- 713 for the possession of drugs and
- 23 for dealing in drugs
Spokesperson for Minister Reagen Allen, Marcellino Martin, told Cape {town} Etc that the other 271 were arrested for various other crimes, such as house-breaking.
LEAP is strategically deployed, and its operations are based on evidence and data to support the communities most affected. This approach is also used as part of monitoring and evaluation to determine the effectiveness of LEAP and inform a cycle of continuous improvement.
LEAP officers have been deployed in areas to monitor and evaluate communities that are affected by these crimes.
This includes the ‘top 10 murder areas’ in the Western Cape, which are: Delft, Gugulethu, Harare, Khayelitsha (Site B policing precinct), Kraaifontein, Mfuleni, Mitchells Plain, Nyanga, Philippi East and Samora Machel.
Other high-crime areas in which LEAP officers operate are Atlantis, Bishop Lavis and Hanover Park, Lavender Hill, Steenberg and Grassy Park.
Since LEAP’s establishment in 2020, 578 illegal firearms have been recovered.
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Picture: Velizar Ivanov / Unsplash