With the Easter holidays upon us, the South African Police Service (SAPS) will be heightening its crime-fighting efforts with the launch of Operation Paseka.
This safety campaign has a duel focus of clamping down on opportunistic crime and road safety.
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Traffic is at a maximum on all national routes and road fatalities peak during this time. These include reckless and negligent driving, speeding, fatigue, unroadworthy vehicles and driving under the influence of alcohol and other intoxicants. This has necessitated the SAPS, in conjunction with other role players in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster, to launch high visibility operations to safeguard road users and communities.
Operation Paseka is aimed at reducing serious, violent crimes such as house robberies, vehicle hijackings, business robberies, theft of or out of motor vehicles and stock theft. As part of the operation, the SAPS will be mounting road blocks on all major routes, conducting stop and search exercises, patrolling the roads and conducting surprise visits at second hand goods dealers in search of stolen property. Other criminal activities receiving attention will be the possession of illegal firearms and alcohol- and drug-related crimes.
“As part of Operation Paseka, we will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that criminals have nowhere to hide. We have identified an increase in certain categories of crime and our men and women in blue will be out in full force to ensure that these Easter holidays are as safe and crime free as they can be,” says Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega.
Phiyega appeals to members of the public and to organised business to work with law enforcement agencies by sharing intelligence and information that can assist the police to combat crime.
Motorists are urged to observe the rules of the road and to exercise patience and courtesy to fellow road users.
