{"id":50661,"date":"2023-12-05T16:04:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T14:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/crime-busting-in-free-state-top-priority-this-festive-season-20231205\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T09:17:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T07:17:12","slug":"crime-busting-in-free-state-top-priority-this-festive-season-20231205","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/crime-busting-in-free-state-top-priority-this-festive-season-20231205\/","title":{"rendered":"Crime-busting in Free State top priority this festive season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Safer Festive Season Operation Plan was handed over to the MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport, MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, and provincial commissioner of police in the Free State, Lt Gen. Baile Motswenyane, in Bronville on Wednesday, 29 November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This initiative was officially handed over to curb, prevent, and combat crime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the launch of Operation Shanela, the Free State\u2019s property crime has decreased but contact crime still remains a concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere is a responsibility not only during the festive season to strengthen, deepen, and maintain good police-community relations, but beyond too,\u201d said Letsoha-Mathae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Images\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_33c39451\">\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10049\/6b65f77b74374abcaa8db0b9ca8693e2.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2af7b5bc9a294accb28fdb3a26eca886.jpg\" title=\"The police during the hand-over of the Safer Festive Season Operation Plan.Photo: Facebook\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">The police during the hand-over of the Safer Festive Season Operation Plan.Photo: Facebook<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The executive authority handed over vehicles to enhance police patrols to increase police visibility and combat crime. Seven cars were handed over in the Xhariep district, ten to Lejweleputswa, seven to Mangaung, six to Fezile Dabi, and 14 to the Thabo Mofutsanyana district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The MEC congratulated police members and their leadership for responding timeously to the incident of a cash-in-transit heist that took place in Bloemfontein this month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the same day of the heist, the police arrested six suspects, seizing automatic rifles and cash.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Safer Festive Season Operation Plan was handed over to the MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport, MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, and provincial commissioner of police in the Free State, Lt Gen. 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