Police hail festive season anti-crime operations
There has been a 2.3 percent decrease in the amount of murders over the festive season.
This is according to acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane - who briefed the media on the South African Police Service's (SAPS) Safer Festive Season #BackToBasics in Pretoria today.
Police arrested 712 people for murder and 419 for attempted murder.
Phahlane says they are encouraged by the progress made over this festive season.
"While it is true that people continue to be killed, it is our resolve to fight crime. We all agree that it's never going to be a policing issue on its own, we all must play a part. We are encourage by the progress we are making," says Phahlane.
Here are some of the SAPS's successes:
- 83 479 persons were arrested
- The arrests were effected during 705 639 policing operations
- 1 060 firearms and 8 691 rounds of ammunition were seized
- 2 443 886 searches were conducted
- 669 vehicles were seized
- A large quantity and variety of drugs were seized, for example in the Western Cape on 18 November 2016, a drug dealer was arrested with 31 000 Mandrax tablets.
#sapsHQ 4953 newly graduated constables were deployed at malls to ensure #SaferFestiveSeason Lt Gen #Phahlane SD pic.twitter.com/o0Tk5xxara
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) January 12, 2017
#sapsHQ 2 443 886 searches were conducted by law enforcement during #SaferFestiveSeason operations - #Phahlane SD pic.twitter.com/FNKoj93UJ8
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) January 12, 2017
#sapsHQ #Phahlane advises that 83 479 people were #arrested from Oct-Dec 2016 in #SaferFestiveSeason operations SD pic.twitter.com/VBUcC06frV
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) January 12, 2017
#sapsHQ #Phahlane says that 669 vehicles were seized during #SaferFestiveSeason operations from Oct-Dec 2016 SD pic.twitter.com/F0SThsOTP4
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) January 12, 2017
#sapsHQ 1060 firearms were seized by law enforcement during #SaferFestiveSeason ops, mostly handguns - #Phahlane SD pic.twitter.com/CyQpVVwjn6
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) January 12, 2017
#sapsHQ 8691 rounds of ammunition seized during #SaferFestiveSeason operations Oct-Dec 2016 #Phahlane SD pic.twitter.com/BmJOj5EpgG
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) January 12, 2017
#sapsHQ Three yearly trend of contact crimes, contact-related crimes, property-related crimes from Oct-Dec SD pic.twitter.com/TIRGamA41c
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) January 12, 2017
Phahlane says prosecuting those arrested now lies in the hands of the courts.
"When we come across people who have committed crimes - following thorough investigations - we will arrest them. As to how long they remain in custody, that is not solely dependent on our work. We will, as the SAPS, oppose bail and we allow the criminal system to process the cases accordingly," says Phahlane.