Six key areas police will focus on during the festive season

The police have identified six focus areas in which they will intensify efforts during the festive season.

National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola addressed the media on Friday about measures the SAPS has put in place. He said these were in full swing, with arrests, patrols and stop and searches heightened.

GBV and femicide

The first focus area is gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, with police tracking and tracing suspects.

“As an organisation, we remain committed to ensuring the safety of women, children and vulnerable groups, not only during the 16-days period, but throughout the year,” Masemola said.

Aggravated robberies

The second area is aggravated robberies such as cash-in-transit (CIT) heists, ATM bombings, car hijackings and residential and business robberies. This is due to an influx of cash and people at shopping centres and malls.

“This is the time where people share money and their hard-earned savings, but it is also a period where criminals pounce on these unsuspecting victims to rob them of their belongings.”

Border security

Third on the list is enhancing border security, as thousands are expected to enter and exit the country. Search operations have been amplified to prevent and combat human and drug trafficking, including illegal crossings.

Enforcing legislation

The fourth priority is illegal firearms, second-hand goods and ensuring liquor outlets comply with legislation, including trading hours. This means taverns, shebeens and nightclubs will be targeted.

Bylaws

“The fifth area of focus is the enforcement of bylaws, targeting hijacked and deserted buildings, destruction of essential infrastructure, extortion and the unlawful use of fire crackers,” said Masemola.

Road safety

Last, police will focus on road safety, as many are expected to travel for the holidays. Motorists should expect roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints, at which metro and provincial and national traffic police will be in attendance. 

“We have been hard at work in consistently developing and reviewing interventions in response to the analysis of crime patterns and emerging crime trends in the country”

TimesLIVE