Suspects arrested after Leap officers attacked
THE City’s safety and security directorate has condemned attacks on its officers who were deployed into volatile local communities after Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) officers came under attack while patrolling in Hillview, Steenberg.
The department said one of its Leap reaction units was on patrol in the Steenberg area when it came under fire from unknown shooters.
“The officers withdrew from the informal settlement area and requested back-up from surrounding Leap areas. Reinforcements were deployed, and within minutes additional resources arrived from Nyanga, Gugulethu and Mfuleni areas. Officers received intel and surrounded an identified structure whereby teams were able to clear the dwelling using a tactical approach.”
Ten suspects were apprehended and detained. Officers also found two of the suspects in possession of unlicensed firearms – a 9mm Luger and a Taurus revolver.
Both suspects were arrested and taken to Muizenberg police station for processing, while the other suspects were detained and profiled to ensure they were not linked to, or wanted in, any other outstanding criminal cases.
Safety and Security Mayco member JP Smith said: “Our Leap members are there to support our SAPS members, but when the need arises, we can flood an area within minutes with even more Leap members. These criminals are foolish as they instead just help us prove our theory to the national government, that putting more boots on the ground does work.”
A member of the Hillview Neighbourhood Watch (NHW), who did not want to be named for his safety, said that following the incident the atmosphere in the community was very tense.
“We have a theory as the NHW, that gangsters randomly shoot on some days, not at each other but to terrify the residents so they don’t come out so that they (the gangsters) can do their business without eyes on them. That has to be it because we don’t find dead bodies this side, but gunshots are always ringing. Maybe they aim at the sky, I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, the Steenberg Community Policing Forum (CPF) said it was disheartened by the current surge of gang-related shootings and killings in Cafda and Lavender Hill this week.
CPF spokesperson Leanne Reid said: “This morning a 17-year-old male was shot and killed. Yesterday, a 61-yearold bystander was shot and fatally wounded. We strongly condemn the violence and call on the community to assist the SAPS with information to bring the perpetrators to book.
“It’s simply unacceptable that the community continues to be terrorised … Community members and leaders must start reporting criminal activity directly to the authorities before reverting to WhatsApp,” Reid said.