CAPE TOWN – Western Cape Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz has lauded Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (Leap) officers for their operational successes in the past week.
According to the weekly report on Leap activities, officers searched 6 935 people in crime hotspots across the Metro. This total includes 1 134 people in Nyanga, 895 in Philippi, 781 in Mitchells Plain and 817 in Delft.
A total of 253 houses were searched, and 536 vehicles were searched during 22 roadblocks.
Leap officers arrested 107 people, of which 63 were arrested for possession of drugs, 19 for the possession of dangerous weapons and eight for the possession of prohibited or illegal firearms and ammunition.
A further six firearms, 24 rounds of ammunition, 13 knives, a panga, hammer as well as 19 mandrax tablets, 37 half mandrax tablets, 11 quarter tablets and five crushed tablets of mandrax were confiscated.
A further 37 packets and one parcel of cannabis, 43 packets of crystal meth and 16 straws and 10 units of heroin were also confiscated.
In the latest incident on Saturday, 90 mandrax tablets as well as an undisclosed quantity of cannabis was found at a premises in Scottsdene, in Kraaifontein.
A man was arrested.
“We are working to enhance visible policing. We are working to reinforce the perception that when you commit crime there are consequences for your actions,” Fritz said.
“The confiscation of illegal guns and ammunition is a real success because every single confiscation of an illegal gun means that a number of violent crimes have been averted,” Fritz said.
He said crimes could be prevented when suspects were arrested and illegal firearms and drugs taken off the streets.
“These successes are therefore crucially important. And so I want to thank our Leap officers for their service; for working to ensure that our communities are safer. Keep up the good work,” Fritz added.
IOL