Law enforcement shows strength in unity
Colonel Greg Joseph said he aimed to make sure criminals know they are a force to be reckoned with.
IN a show of force and to promote solidarity among emergency services, the Hillcrest SAPS along with a slew of security companies, hosted a campaign in the upper Highway area recently.
The operation started at Hillcrest Corner. “We are doing this to show the public we do work together without any barriers. We meet once a week, share stats, especially with all these business robberies,” said Nikki Mohlmann of Enforce Security.
Colonel Greg Joseph said he aimed to make sure criminals know they are a force to be reckoned with. “We are here to support each other. We want to make an impact on crime. We should be able to make an impact with the personnel we have here. At the end of the day we can measure and see if we have achieved our goals,” said Col. Joseph.
Moving around in teams, they group patrolled Hillcrest Corner as the first phase of their operation. They made their way to Assagay, patrolling the streets before moving to West Riding and a final stand off at Watercrest Mall. “We are making sure that they (patrons) are safe in our shopping malls,” said Joseph.
Steven King, of South African Community Crime Watch, said he was ‘extremely proud’ of how law enforcement and private security companies gathered to tackle crime head on in the Upper Highway area. “It has been a long time coming. We are all living in one community and we are not immune to crime and we need to stand up and take back that which belongs to us,” said King.
In their first joint campaign three arrests were made. “One man was tracked down by the combined action response team and arrested. This came after a message was received of a house breaking in progress,” continued King. “The team jumped into action and a net was thrown around the area.”
A second man was arrested for house breaking in Waterfall and a third was arrested for being in possession of a large amount of marijuana.
Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Highway Mail WhatsApp number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts.
