45 arrested by new Joburg anti-crime unit
The City of Johannesburg says its new quick-reaction, anti-crime unit has made significant inroads in the fight against crime in the CBD.
The unit has arrested 45 suspects since it was launched in May.
It was established with the specific aim of fighting crime in the inner city.
The city’s Luyanda Longwe says the arrested suspects are linked to various crimes, including cable theft, mugging, pick-pocketing, hijacking and drug dealing.
"Notable successes by the unit range from the arrest of three cable thieves caught red-handed in Hillbrow, to muggers apprehended in Newtown. Another eight suspects were caught red-handed in Fordsburg whilst loading stolen goods to the value of R128 000."
The unit has also increased the number of officers on patrol.
"The reaction unit, which started with 80 officers, has since grown to 100 officers working undercover at the various parts of the inner city, 24 hours a day.
“The synergy between the Integrated Intelligence Operations Centre, where the city-owned CCTV cameras are monitored, and the strategic deployment and quick reaction time, muggers, armed robbers and hijackers are finding themselves in handcuffs and behind bars," says Longwe.