The South African Police Service (SAPS) has deployed an additional 3 558 newly trained police officers to bolster nationwide crime-fighting efforts ahead of the festive season.

Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili said during the release of the Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 crime statistics in Pretoria that officers have begun operating under heightened policing to ensure communities remain safe.

“We have indeed entered a period of heightened police operations to ensure that people are and feel safe this festive season,” she said.

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Acting Police Minister Prof Firoz Cachalia formally welcomed the newly qualified constables last week following their graduation from SAPS training academies across the country.

Some of these officers were already deployed during the G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted at the Nasrec Expo Centre.

Mosikili stressed that the increased police visibility forms part of SAPS’s wider strategy to reinforce public safety through coordinated, multidisciplinary operations.

“It’s all hands on deck as the men and women in blue – working closely with other law enforcement agencies – continue to stamp the authority of the state in every corner of our country,” she said.

Crime statistics show progress and ongoing challenges

Presenting the latest crime trends, Mosikili acknowledged that while improvements were visible, more work was needed to further reduce crime levels.

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“We are not where we want to be in terms of the numbers. We would surely like to see a further reduction of cases and a lot more green graphs indicating a downward trend,” she said.

Operation Shanela, SAPS’s weekly integrated crime-prevention programme, continues to drive arrests and recoveries. Between April 1 and September 31, police arrested 413 583 suspects nationwide.

During the same period:

* 3 442 firearms were confiscated
* 11 975 unlicensed liquor outlets were closed

Alcohol misuse remained a key contributor to many contact crimes

Mosikili added that criminals had nowhere to hide, with notable breakthroughs recorded across several provinces.

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In the Western Cape, where gang violence remains a concern, police arrested 722 suspects linked to gang activities, seized 1 565 illegal firearms, and recovered more than 39 000 rounds of ammunition.

In KZN, five suspects involved in the 2023 Glebelands hostel mass shooting — which resulted in eight deaths — were each handed eight life sentences plus an additional 15 years.

Mosikili said SAPS remained resolute in ensuring safer communities throughout the festive season and beyond.