BARRAGE – Law enforcement officials on the outskirts of Barrage and Vanderbijlpark have been tackling a rise in local crime through a series of intensive police operations.
According to reports, property-related crimes such as housebreakings and theft have increased in some rural areas.
In response, detectives in Barrage have intensified their investigations and enforcement operations, leading to several arrests and successful prosecutions.
During a recent visit to the Barrage precinct, Ster South spoke with the Branch Commander of Detectives, Captain Phineas Makau, about the team’s recent successes.
In the past month alone, detectives have secured more than 30 successful prosecutions involving various offences, including drugrelated crimes and theft.
While some community members have expressed frustration with the justice system, the Barrage detective unit states that it works diligently to ensure thorough investigations and prevent procedural loopholes from hindering prosecutions.
“Most of our crime problems are housebreakings and theft, suspected to be linked with illegal immigrants. Many of these farm owners employ foreigners because of cheap labour, and this becomes a big problem,” said Makau.
He added that intensified operations have had a visible impact: “We’ve seen a decline in crime since we conducted operations in our region and arrested illegal immigrants. Our team works tirelessly to make sure that loopholes following arrests are sealed, hence we see arrested foreigners get convicted and deported.”
The captain also highlighted the variety of operations underway.
“Several operations are conducted, such as high-density operations, regular operations, and joint operations known as Blue and white, where several external operations join us,” he explained.
He further noted that both uniformed and detective units have contributed to recent successes.
“Uniform members are also doing well in arrests. Ours is to make sure that we thoroughly investigate. Our courts are also big on making sure that suspects are sent away,” he said.
The Barrage detective unit’s commitment to tackling crime has not gone unnoticed. The team recently received a certificate during the Sedibeng District Excellence Awards, earning second runner-up in the Detectives of the Year category.
“This recognition proves that the efforts we apply and going the extra mile are certainly paying off. Some of our officers come on weekends and make sure we deal with queries and close investigations. That alone shows we are doing something good,” said Makau.
