A Gauteng aggravated robbery strategy was launched by Premier Paul Mashatile on Wednesday to boost crime-fighting initiatives in the province.
The strategy is a partnership between Gauteng law enforcement agencies, Business Against Crime, as well as the banking sector.
”The long term effect of the strategy is that Gauteng should be a safe place … there must be no place for criminals to hide,” Mashatile said at the Premier’s office in Braamfontein.
The launch comes after a two-day national crime summit with various stakeholders, to deal effectively with crime.
He said that the strategy was based on four pillars — which would improve the quality of policing, mobilise the community, prevent crime, and ensure an effective criminal justice system.
The first phase of the strategy will see surveillance cameras being placed in areas with a high crime rate.
The cameras, funded by the banking sector, cost a total of R14-million and would be placed in high crime areas within the next three months.
South African Police Service mobile units in Diepsloot, Bramfischerville and Zandspruit will be deployed by February 2009.
A special investigative task team had also been established and would be responsible for following up information and investigating cases. This unit would also focus on specific groups of suspects.
An additional 80 vehicles would be made available by February next year, and in Ekurhuleni 500 new vehicles would be deployed.
The response time of police would be improved. This would ensure better coordination among various flying squad teams and vehicles.
An anti-truck hijacking unit would also be deployed on all national and provincial roads within the province.
A control and operations room, directly linked to the Guteng 10111 centre, would also be established.
The number of police patrolling areas would also increase across the province from 3 000 to 10 000 by March next year.
Gauteng minister for community safety, Firoz Cachalia, said there would however be no new police recruitment, but rather reorganisation.
”We are clustering Gauteng into 21 areas … detectives would also be working with prosecutors deployed by the National Prosecuting Authority,” Cachalia said.
Mashatile said the strategy would be evaluated every quarter.
”We are appealing to communities to support this initiative, by doing this we are giving practical meaning to a crime-free Gauteng,” Mashatile said. – Sapa