The Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, relaunched an award system that encourages the public to report the whereabouts of illegal firearms.
Also read: Dozens of arrests as police confiscate illegal firearms
Residents can contact 021 466 0011 to report an illegal firearm anonymously. Sharing personal details with members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) is optional, though this information will under no circumstances be made public.
Once a firearm is collected and confirmed as illegal by SAPS, an amount of R1 500 will be awarded to the person who reported it. In addition, if an arrest directly linked to the firearm is made, a further R1 500 will be disbursed. Should there be a conviction tied to the firearm, an extra R2 000 will be paid to the informant.
‘I want the public at large to use this opportunity to help us get these illegal firearms off our streets. Our hope is that this will serve as enough encouragement so that we can make our streets safer,’ says Allen. ‘During the first ten weeks of 2023, shootings accounted for 44% of homicides, which is the highest cause of murders in the province. During the third quarter, October 2022 to December 2022, of the 2022/23 financial year, firearms were also the instrument used to commit 47,8% of all murders, which was also the highest during the period.’
The initiative was initially launched by Premier Alan Winde in 2019 while he was the Minister of Community Safety in the Western Cape. This year, it was launched at the Delft South African Police Station.
‘Part of the reason why we are launching this initiative in Delft, is because it is currently third on the top 30 murder station list across the country, and second in the province behind Mfuleni. We have worked hard to ensure that processes are in place so that when a report comes in, all protocol is followed. These protocols will assist SAPS in taking illegal guns off our streets and out of the hands of criminals.
‘To create greater awareness, we will now ensure that posters explaining the initiative are placed in every police station across the province. However, one of the best ways to reach our communities is by SAPS members sharing this news far and wide. We sincerely hope that this will lead to a large number of calls and reports about where these illegal firearms are. We all have a role to play and now though this programme every resident can be a part of the solution.’
Also read:
Video: Gang violence escalates as police reintroduce reward system for reporting illegal firearms
Picture: Pexels