Focus on Cape Flats hot pots as shootings soar
WESTERN Cape police have bolstered deployments at identified hot spots in light of recent shooting incidents on some parts of the Cape Flats.
Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said the additional deployments in the form of members from the AntiGang Unit, Tactical Response Teams, Operation Lockdown II, Operation Restore and Public Order Police have descended on identified locations where they will execute operations, search and seizures, stop and search operations, roadblocks, raids and tracing operations.
“The intervention follows incidents where murder and attempted murders cases registered indicate a spike in shooting incidents that saw a significant number of individuals shot in Mitchells Plain, Bishop Lavis, Philippi, Ravensmead and Elsies River,” Pojie said.
With other law enforcement agencies, including metro police, LEAP officials and scores of community volunteers, the SAPS is on high alert and determined to restore calm in the identified hot spots, Pojie said.
Recently, capacity at the provincial Anti-Gang Unit was enhanced 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.
Pojie said a contingent deployed in Elsies River apprehended a 50-yearold suspect and confiscated 50 9mm rounds of ammunition and over 400 mandrax tablets on Sunday evening.
“In that operation the arresting officials came under attack from community members and shots were fired. The matter is the subject of an IPID investigation,” Pojie said.
Meanwhile, yesterday morning, members of the Lentegeur Detectives Serious and Violent Crimes Unit conducted patrols in Woodlands to quell ongoing gang violence in the area.
During a search of a group of suspected gang members, police discovered an unlicensed firearm, 16 rounds of ammunition, 18-and-a-half mandrax tablets and cash.
Anyone with information on crime can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or SMS Crime Line on 32211.