Durban — More boots on the ground and Safer Festive Season Operations are reported to have yielded positive results as police across South Africa arrested 8 444 suspects for various crimes in 29 days in December.
Over the weekend, national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said that with the Safer Festive Season Operations in full swing throughout the country, SAPS national commissioner General Fannie Masemola said he was satisfied with the progress made to ensure a safer festive season for “all people on South African shores”.
Mathe said the Safer Festive Season Operational Plan focuses on six areas, which include preventing and enhancing police actions towards gender-based violence and femicide, preventing and combating aggravated armed robberies, enhancing border security, and enforcing legislation and by-laws as well as road safety.
“With the addition of more boots on the ground following the deployment of 10 000 newly trained constables, the SAPS has been hard at work in heightening police visibility through integrated and joint law enforcement crime-combating operations, including patrols, stop and searches, roadblocks and the tracing of wanted suspects,” Mathe said.
She said compliance inspections were continuously being conducted at establishments that sell liquor and second-hand goods dealers, including gun shop owners.
Mathe said that from December 1, 2022, to December 29, 2022, police achieved the following successes through the nationwide Safer Festive Season Operations:
- 2 940 illegal undocumented persons were arrested.
- 2 729 suspects were arrested for drug-related crimes.
- 1 284 suspects arrested for dealing illegally in liquor.
- 628 suspects were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
- 527 suspects were arrested and charged for sexually-related offences, including rape.
- 305 suspects were arrested and charged for murder.
- 31 suspects involved in kidnapping cases were arrested.
- 9 444 explosives were seized.
- 445 firearms were seized, including 7 219 rounds of ammunition.
- 244 stolen vehicles recovered.
Mathe said that on behalf of the SAPS, “let me take this opportunity to wish you all law-abiding citizens a safe and secure New Year. We hope that in 2023 communities through their local community police forums will continue to work closely with the SAPS to prevent, combat and investigate all forms of criminality.
“Members of the public are also reminded to call the Crime Stop on 08600 10111, whenever in danger or to share any criminal related incidents. Callers are reminded that they may remain anonymous,” Mathe added.
In KwaZulu-Natal, in mid-December, police said that over two weeks, various police interventions resulted in the recovery of 56 firearms, five of which were rifles. A total of 1 393 assortments of live rounds of ammunition were also removed from the streets.
Earlier in the month, police said 12 rifles, 61 pistols and a semi-automatic firearm were among dangerous weapons removed, and 913 live rounds of ammunition removed, between November 28, 2022, and December 5, 2022.
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