Cape Town - With the gradual increase in violent crimes, especially crimes related to gang violence on the Cape Flats, the National Crime Combating Forum through the crime register has just deployed 200 police officers to help curb the scourge.
The multidisciplinary officers, welcomed by Police Minister Bheki Cele and the provincial police management at a police camp in Belhar this morning, are meant to be force multipliers within the existing Operation Lockdown in place in the province.
Cele said they were working with governments and the provinces on crime fighting. He said where needs be, they would increase whatever form of resources.
“We know that from the beginning of March, about 200 members from different provinces were sent to this province to come and add to fighting the crime,” said Cele.
Video: Henk Kruger/African News Agency
He said more than 50 cars were brought to merge and work with the province and the police.
Cele said more resources were added, including computers and office staff, with the assistance of the Western Cape. However, he said the most important resource remained the human being.
“Because I don’t care how many machines you buy, how much IT you bring, policing cannot happen if human beings are not there. So you are the most important resource that South Africans have in terms of crime fighting,” Cele told the gathering.
He said the Western Cape remained stubborn when it came to crime issues.
“It remains stubborn in several crime categories. Out of 30 top crime stations, you would find that more than 10 of those stations come from this province, especially from this city.”
He said the officers would be stationed in Khayelitsha, Delft, Kraaifontein, Nyanga, Harare, Philippi East precincts.
Acting provincial police commissioner Thembisile Patekile said the message was clear: “Those who know that the police are looking for them must hand themselves over to the police stations, because they will be found and arrested.”
Patekile said they wanted to ensure that the citizens of the Western Cape were protected and safe, and would restore their human dignity.
He said they would be working on finding illegal firearms and other dangerous weapons used to commit crimes.
Cape Argus