WATCH: Brigadier identifies Etwatwa crime hotspots
During a roadblock on Eiselen Street, officers issued 66 traffic fines to motorists totalling R27 800.
Crimes like house and business robberies, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), drug-related offences, and possession of illegal firearms are prevalent in the Etwatwa policing precinct, with Maphupheni and Winnie Mandela identified as hotspots for house robberies.
Deputy district commissioner Brigadier Lebohang Machakela revealed this information during the SAPS’ recent Operation Shanela in Etwatwa.
“Our multi-disciplinary operation, in collaboration with members of the EMPD, CPF patrollers and Home Affairs officials, is here to combat crime and ensure the safety of community members ahead of the festive season.
“We have a saturation team patrolling the hotspot. Officers are checking whether spaza shops, second-hand shops and liquor outlets are compliant. We will do an imbizo with the community to establish community-based crime prevention initiatives and enhance communication channels between them and the police,” Machakela said.
He said that as part of the Etwatwa SAPS’ efforts to address the proliferation of illegal firearms, the station recovered three this month.
In light of the recent surge in taxi killings in the area, Machakela said they had increased police visibility. He urged taxi industry members to prevent these killings by resolving their disputes peacefully.
Success
Machakela shared that during the roadblock on Eiselen Street, officers issued 66 traffic fines to motorists totalling R27 800. They visited six liquor outlets, closing five.
The officers visited seven second-hand shops, fining the owners of two for non-compliance. They arrested 15 undocumented persons, one person for dealing drugs, and four people for possession of drugs.
The detectives’ operation, which traced suspects in Ekurhuleni policing precincts, arrested 210 people for contact crimes, property crimes, GBV and other serious offences between October 16 and 17.
Also Read: Operation tackles crime in Etwatwa
Also Read: Police to work tirelessly during festive period
