SAPS have deployed additional specialised national and Western Cape police units in Mitchell’s Plain to address the increase of recent shootings in the area.
Mitchell’s Plain Community Police Forum (CPF) chairman, Norman Jantjes, told the Plainsman yesterday, Tuesday March 19, that they have seen “immediate results” since the deployment on Sunday March 17.
“They (SAPS) are patrolling, they’ve searched up to 20 homes a day; there have been roadblocks, tracing operations for criminals and the confiscation of drugs, ammunition and guns,” he said.
Mr Jantjes said there is a “feeling of optimism”. “The police are there and they are developing the confidence of the community in the police.
“A degree of safety is being restored now,” he said.
His only reservation was that the the deployment was temporary and that when the police officers leave Mitchell’s Plain would revert to a state of “hopelessness and lawlessness”.
The spike in shootings coincide with the new appointment of station commander Brigadier Mark Hartzenberg on Wednesday March 13 and the redeployment of up to 14 police officers, including three colonels, a few captains and the head of detectives, who had to report at other police stations the next day.
Brigadier Jan Alexander was appointed as the new station commander of Bellville SAPS.
Mr Jantjes said: “They (the deployed officers) need to be replaced immediately”.
He said investigations and prosecutions were dependent on the allotted detectives at the police station.
He said up to 1 000 cases had to be split among the remaining detectives.
Brigadier Hartzenberg was due to meet with safety volunteers, including community police forum sub-forums, neighbourhood, block watches and street committee members in the SAPS station boardroom at Mitchell’s Plain police station last night.
SAPS spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie, said in a media statement dated Monday March 18 that bolstered deployments at identified hot spots have been in place since Sunday afternoon.
The additional deployments in the form of members from SAPS’ Anti-Gang Unit, Tactical Response Teams, Operation Lockdown II, Operation Restore and Public Order Police have descended on identified locations on the Cape Flats where they execute operations, search-and-seizures, stop-and-search operations, roadblocks, raids and tracing operations.
“The intervention follows incidents where murder and attempted murder cases registered indicate a spike in shooting incidents that saw a significant number of individuals shot in Mitchell’s Plain, Bishop Lavis, Philippi, Ravensmead and Elsies River,” read the statement.
Lieutenant-Colonel Pojie said: “With other law enforcement agencies such as the City of Cape Town’s Metro police, Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers and scores of community volunteers, the SAPS are on high alert and determined to restore calm in the identified hot spots.”
He said from ongoing operations conducted, a significant number of illegal firearms and large quantities of rounds of ammunition were confiscated with suspects arrested weekly.
Recently the provincial Anti-Gang Unit had increased by 47 members and an additional 100 members from Operation Lockdown II came from other provinces to assist in reducing serious violent crimes in Cape Town.
“In a co-ordinated manner, armed with intelligence they execute operational actions where it is most required,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Pojie.
A man arrested during a patrol in Woodlands by Lentegeur SAPS’ Serious and Violent Crimes unit on Monday March 18 at 8.45am is due to appear in Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court today, Wednesday March 20.
This after police searched a group of suspected gangsters and confiscated an unlicensed firearm, 16 rounds of ammunition, 18-and-a-half mandrax tablets and cash on one of them.
He faces charges related to being in the unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition and drugs.
SAPS provincial spokesman, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, said Mitchell’s Plain police were investigating four counts of attempted murder following a shooting incident on the corner of Strandloper and Finch streets, in Rocklands, on Saturday evening.
Four victims, aged between 14 and 26, were shot and wounded.
Upon Mitchell’s Plain police’s arrival, the victims had already been taken to hospital.
“According to reports, unknown suspects driving in a white Kia started shooting at the victims and fled the scene,” Sergeant Twigg said.
On Wednesday March 13, a man, 22 was killed and four others, aged between 17 and 58, were injured when shots were fired in Cadillac Street, in Beacon Valley.
“Mitchell’s Plain police attended to the crime scene where they found the victims with gunshot wounds to their bodies,” said Sergeant Twigg.
He said they were investigating whether the shooting was gang related.
Anyone with any information about these shooting incidents can contact Crime Stop on 086 001 0111.