The inner desire to fight crime comes from a primal place within that mimics animalistic traits.
Florida Police’s weekly mass patrols are now a regular sight on the streets, keeping criminals on their toes. Featuring assistance from Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, several private security companies, PRASA’s security forces and community security groups, focus is fixed on illegal mining, dilapidated rail infrastructure, second-hand goods and scrap metal traders, crime and drug hotspots as well as main arterials in and out of the suburb.
Given code names to symbolise the intention with which the operation is conducted, Operation ‘Ratel’ focused on the illegal mining community at Rugby Club informal settlement and the Odendaal Road link to Soweto, August 13. A host of illegal mining implements including 24 phendukas and nine stampers were confiscated as well as explosives, a gold nugget, drugs and an unlicensed firearm.
At the Odendaal Road roadblock, almost 300 people were searched and a total of 178 vehicles were stopped and inspected. The roadblock yielded fines to the value of R15 500 as well as three arrests. One suspect was arrested for possession of stolen property, another for common robbery, and one was arrested after being identified as a man wanted on an attempted murder charge.
Operation ‘Fish Eagle’ was held on Friday, August 20, turning attention on scrap-metal yards and illegal-liquor traders. Fines for non-compliance were handed out, and roughly 16 litres of illegal liquor were confiscated. Another roadblock was conducted in Fleurhof, yielding R7 500 in fines, two arrests and the recovery of a suspected stolen motor vehicle. An illegal firearm and ammunition were confiscated, while one of the arrested suspects required medical treatment and was hospitalised under police guard.
Florida Police returned to Rugby Club informal settlement for Operation ‘Warthog’, August 26. Emphasising the need to apply constant monitoring and resources to the problem of illegal mining, another large confiscation of equipment was on the cards. Ten more phendukas to go with the 26 two weeks earlier were in the haul that included four electric motors, three generators, a bag of explosives and a bottle of mercury.
In the most recent attack on the lawless, Operation ‘Wolf’ took aim at multiple issues. Three suspects were arrested for possession of drugs while several second-hand goods stores and scrapyards were inspected. No fines were issued the businesses, showing an improvement from the last round of inspections. Two separate roadblocks were set up on main access routes, producing 43 individual fines from the 597 vehicles and people searched, all to the value of R52 000.
Every operation goes hand in hand with an awareness campaign that centres around the distribution of information leaflets. The pamphlets contain important information on a variety of topics – from domestic violence and gender-based violence to crime prevention tips and vital police contact details. Winning hearts and minds, Florida Police station commander Colonel Amos Tsotetsi’s ‘partnership in policing’ strategy is setting the bar high for proactive crime-fighting.
