| The launch of a Cluster Operational Command Centre yields positive results in the Western Cape | |
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| Date Published: | 2017/05/05 |
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Media Statement from National Media Centre Cape Town: The Acting National Police Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane, commends members of the South African Police Service for effecting the arrest of 180 people in the Blue Downs Cluster in Cape Town. During the launch, the Acting National Commissioner was accompanied by the Minister of Police, Mr Fikile Mbalula (MP), the Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Bongani Mkonqi (MP) and senior members of the South African Police Service in interacting with members of various communities in the cluster as well as conducting stop and search operations. The Operational Command Centre is the second of its kind nationally. The first Operational Command Centre, was formally launched in Port Elizabeth’s Northern suburbs of Gelvandale and Bethelsdorp on the 24th of March 2016 in a bid to eradicate the volatile situation that was unfolding. As the South African Police Service, we can attest to the fact that, the operation has yielded positive results with the on-going arrests and stability in that area. Our main goal is to ultimately roll out the programme to other clusters in the Western Cape. Just this past weekend, the nation woke up to the news of the shootings in Elsies River in Cape Town. The shooting believed to be part of gang-related criminal activities led to the death of 3 people and left 10 others fighting for their lives in hospital. It is against this background that as the South African Police Service, we are saying, enough is enough, we are putting an end to this barbaric situation. We cannot allow criminals to run amok in our communities. “One of the crucial challenges is the issue of drugs and gangs in the Western Cape, and quite often the blame is apportioned to the police to deal with this challenge. It cannot be police duty to raise young people in a proper manner, it is the role of parents and guardians within communities. As the South African Police Service, our plea is for the community members in the Western Cape to take their rightful position in society and assist us to do away with gang leaders and drug lords” said Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane. The Operational Command Centre is a structure with a total situational awareness and direction of focussed intelligence led policing that is aimed at reducing crime in a sustainable manner. The main purpose is to ensure that operational policing services are directed and coordinated with the aim to prevent and combat crime in areas that are crime infested. The Operational Command Centre will operate 24-hourly and will be manned by an Extended Core Command Group (ECCG) and Core Command Group (CCG). Our focus as the South African Police Service will be to clamp down on gang-related activities such as drug dealing, intimidation, violent crime and the proliferation of unlicensed firearms. This fully functional joint operational centre gives us the opportunity as an organisation to launch proactive and intelligence-driven operations. Part of the proactive approach is to also introduce highly visible sector patrols by uniformed police officers on foot and in vehicles. Detectives and officers from other specialized units assigned to the Operational Command Centre will establish a cooperative working relationship with the National Prosecuting Authority, to ensure that when we make arrests, we secure appropriate convictions. Lastly, the success or failure of this Operation Command Centre is dependent upon an effective partnership between our members and communities. As the South African Police we are confident that together we can do more and that the communities of the Blue Downs Cluster will ensure that this operation succeeds. In closing, the loss of our own members cannot and will not be tolerated. We cannot continue to lose our members in the line of duty. Where necessary, we urge our members to exercise maximum proportional force within the confines of the laws of the country to ensure that they too themselves are safe. -Ends- Enquiries: Colonel Athlenda Mathe (Spokesperson to the Acting National Commissioner): 082 555 2997 Email: Mathea@saps.gov.za
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