A joint clean-up operation by Moot public protectors was a huge success at the weekend.
Pretoria Moot police spokesperson, Captain Anton Breedt, said 18 people were arrested for various crimes and several motorists fined at a roadblock.
He said the SAPS, Tshwane metro police and CPF patrollers were involved in the operation.
“We focused on contact and priority crimes such as theft of motor vehicles, house breaking, theft and theft out of motor vehicles,” he said.
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Breedt said the focus was also placed on less serious crimes related to by-laws and liquor related crimes.
He said the first part of the operation included a road block in Soutpansberg Road.
“Several fines were issued for various offences, such as driving without valid driver’s licence, overloading and other minor road traffic offences,” he said.
Breedt said the fines totalled R 6 000.
“During the road block members of the CPF handed out pamphlets to motorists informing them about the fight against domestic and gender violence,” he said.
“CPF patrollers also swooped in on well-known places where drugs and liquor related crimes are committed and abused.”
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He said this resulted in the arrest of eight people for drinking in public, six for gambling in public and two pedestrians for being ‘a source of danger’.
Breedt said two men between the ages of 22 and 28 were arrested for being in the possession of dagga.
In an unrelated incident, a 25-year-old man was arrested for housebreaking and being in the possession of stolen property.
Breedt said the police recovered property to the value of R30 000.
“The home owner was phoned by a neighbour informing her about a person breaking into her house,” Breedt said.
“She was alone in the house but she remained calm and immediately phoned the Moot sector police, giving them a full description of the suspect.”
Breedt said the man was found hiding in an outside toilet several houses away from the home he had broken into and arrested.
He said police found several cell phones and jewellery in his pockets.
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“Later police found a bag hidden under a tree containing a laptop, more cell phones, gaming consoles, clothing and jewellery,” he said.
The homeowner identified the property as hers.
“The police discovered the suspect gained entry by breaking the security gate and back door with a garden spade he found in an unlocked store room,” he said.
“Detectives will look into the fact that the suspect may be linked to other similar crimes in the Gezina and Moot areas.”
Acting Moot police station commander Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Nekhumbe commended the members of the sector policing for their quick response.
He also thanked the community for their participation in crime prevention initiatives and urged residents to join their local CPF.
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