National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola says the police will continue to be on high alert to prevent and combat incidents of lawlessness as the country enters the new year.
“While police will be deployed in hotspot areas, members of the public are urged to be more attentive to their surroundings and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.
“We urge everyone to behave in an orderly and responsible manner as we ring in the new year, most importantly remember not to drink and drive to prevent loss of life on our roads,” Masemola said.
With Safer Holiday Operations in full swing across the country, Masemola says he is pleased with the progress made by the police to ensure a safer holiday season for all people on South African shores.
The Safer Holiday Season Operational Plan focuses on six areas that include preventing and improving police actions against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), preventing and combating aggravated armed robberies, improving border security, making comply with legislation and statutes, as well as road safety.
With the addition of more troops on the ground following the deployment of 10,000 newly trained officers, the police, according to Masemola, have worked hard to increase the visibility of the police through integrated and joint anti-crime operations of the forces. of order, including patrols, stops and searches, roadblocks. and the search for wanted suspects.
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Police continually conduct compliance inspections of establishments that sell liquor, as well as establishments such as thrift dealers, including gun shop owners.
Police successes since the start of the festive season:
· 2,940 illegal immigrants were detained
· 2,729 suspects were arrested for drug-related offenses
· 1,284 suspects arrested for illegal liquor trafficking
· 628 suspects were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol
305 suspects were arrested and charged with murder
527 suspects were arrested and charged with sex-related crimes, including rape
· 31 suspects involved in kidnapping cases were detained by police
· 445 firearms were seized including 7219 rounds of ammunition
· 244 stolen vehicles recovered
· 9,444 explosives were seized
Last week, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said that more than 3,000 people have been arrested this holiday season, as drunk driving and speeding have been cited as some of the main factors contributing to the increasing number of traffic accidents.
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