Proactive policing operations by Gansbaai police, aimed at preventing serious crimes such as murders and sexual offences, have paid off.
Lieutenant-Colonel Winston Coetzee, Gansbaai Police Station commander, reported that the continuous high visibility proactive operations under the banner of “Operation Vhutu Hawe”, which means more boots on the ground, yielded the desired outcome.
The levels of both contact and property-related crime categories showed significant decreases since 1 April.
The aim of the operations, he said, was to prevent murders, attempted murders, sexual offences, robberies, house/business break-ins as well as the protection of marine resources.
“Members were out in large numbers conducting patrols, stop-and-search operations and vehicle checkpoints. During the reporting period a total of 249 people were arrested for different types of crimes.
“Intelligence-driven actions were executed, which resulted in the arrest of 113 people on drug-related crimes.
“Different types of drugs worth thousands of rand were confiscated. In total, 359 compliance inspections were conducted at liquor and second-hand goods premises.”
In addition to this, the Gansbaai police also conducted numerous awareness campaigns and street imbizo’s where they provided the communities with valuable safety tips. A total of 248 farms were also visited as part of the police’s rural safety strategy.
Coetzee hailed the operations a success, stating the proactive approach has made an positive impact.
He added: “As police we are committed to working in partnership with all other government departments and community based structures in limiting the space for any form of criminality and to deter criminals from flouting the law.”
