Communities in the Soshanguve and Rietgat policing precincts have welcomed the national policing intervention.
On Tuesday, Police Minister General Bheki Cele unveiled additional policing units that will be part of the SAPS stabilisation team.
He said a SAPS stabilisation team had been deployed to enhance policing in townships heavily affected by violent crime in the Tshwane District.
“These units are deployed to counter and combat crime, as well as to enforce the law in and around the Soshanguve, Rietgat , Loate and Mabopane areas,” Cele said.
Several SAPS units, such as Crime Intelligence, detectives, the Flying Squad, K9, and rapid response teams, and the Private Security and Community Policing Forum, will be supporting the SAPS stabilisation team, including the tactical response Team, national intervention unit, and public order policing unit as well as drones.
Cele along with the SAPS management led by national commissioner General Fannie Masemola visited the family home of 5-year-old Ditebogo Junior Phalane, who was shot and killed during the hijacking of his father’s vehicle at the weekend.
Cele assured the family that the murder investigation was a priority for the local police.
He urged communities to come forward with information that could assist the police investigations and called on officers to act tough on crime.
“This national intervention is a direct response to the cries of community members here who made their concerns heard when Deputy Minister Mathale hosted a crime prevention imbizo three weeks ago,” he said.
He said the police should take over the streets and spare no resource in rooting out ruthless criminal gangs that had murdered the 5-year-old boy and who terrorise residents through crime.
“The SAPS stabilisation team, which will be supported by over 60 operational vehicles, will be deployed for three months, and its progress and effectiveness will be evaluated weekly. The team’s deployment will be adjusted accordingly, guided by crime pattern analysis,” he said.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi also declared war on crime following his visit to the home of Ditebogo Junior Phalane on Monday.
He said the issue of fighting crime should be their apex priority and they should unleash all their resources at their disposal to tackle crime.
He highlighted that helicopters and drones had been effective in combating crime in hotspots and inaccessible areas, and more would be deployed in order to eradicate criminals terrorising communities in the province.
“I believe that using technology such as CCTV and using drones in the province help in preventing the crimes that were committed,” he said.
In response to the concerns of the Soshanguve community, he assured the residents that the provincial government was aware of the crimes and challenges they faced.
“Such incidents prepare the government to react or put resources in place. We just need to invest some of the resources we need to protect families,” he said.
Lesufi expressed confidence that the intervention measures aimed at reducing crime in Tshwane would make a significant difference in tackling crime in Gauteng.
“Although there is progress in addressing rampant lawlessness, the root of the problem is outdated policing methods,” he added.
Pretoria News