Police Minister, Bheki Cele has dared druglords in the community of Westbury to face police head on.
Cele said this while presenting the 141 police officers attached to the Tactical Response Team, also known as amabherete, to be deployed to the township.
He said 131 officers were present at the parade, while 10 would be used to infiltrate gangs.
“We are making a call on them, come and face us, come and face those who are standing there,” Cele said while pointing at the 131 TRT officers.
“From that side it will be members from JMPD [Johannesburg Metro Police Department], dog unit, NIU (National Intervention Unit) – all those people you see there, we don’t give them rubber bullets. We give them real stuff. So we are making a plea, we making an invitation to come out and face them,” he said.
Cele, along with the national police commissioner, Khehle Sitole, were responding to requests from community members to intensify security in the area in a bid to curb the scourge of drugs and gang-related crimes.
This came after Heather Peterson, 46, was hit with a stray bullet during a gunfight between rival gangs.
She was caught in the crossfire and hit in the back a few metres away from her home.
This triggered unrest which was defined by running clashes with the police as residents protested against crime in the area.
“We have a list of 20 people who are the most wanted and are linked to various crimes including murder. Some of them are linked to more than one murder. That list simply says that you must go and knock on their doors. We want these criminals,” Cele said.
'Come and face us', Police Minister, Bheki Cele tells druglords
Police Minister, Bheki Cele has dared druglords in the community of Westbury to face police head on.
Cele said this while presenting the 141 police officers attached to the Tactical Response Team, also known as amabherete, to be deployed to the township.
He said 131 officers were present at the parade, while 10 would be used to infiltrate gangs.
“We are making a call on them, come and face us, come and face those who are standing there,” Cele said while pointing at the 131 TRT officers.
“From that side it will be members from JMPD [Johannesburg Metro Police Department], dog unit, NIU (National Intervention Unit) – all those people you see there, we don’t give them rubber bullets. We give them real stuff. So we are making a plea, we making an invitation to come out and face them,” he said.
Cele, along with the national police commissioner, Khehle Sitole, were responding to requests from community members to intensify security in the area in a bid to curb the scourge of drugs and gang-related crimes.
This came after Heather Peterson, 46, was hit with a stray bullet during a gunfight between rival gangs.
She was caught in the crossfire and hit in the back a few metres away from her home.
This triggered unrest which was defined by running clashes with the police as residents protested against crime in the area.
“We have a list of 20 people who are the most wanted and are linked to various crimes including murder. Some of them are linked to more than one murder. That list simply says that you must go and knock on their doors. We want these criminals,” Cele said.