Police get tough on gangs
Special unit to be deployed in Bay to fight violent crime
MEMBERS of the police National Intervention Unit (NIU), along with other specialised police units, will be deployed in Port Elizabeth to clamp down on gang activities and a spike in contact crimes in the city.
In a strong indication of the seriousness of ongoing gangsterism in the northern areas and the rise in the number of contact crimes – such as robbery, murder and rape, specifically in the Motherwell, Kwazakhele and New Brighton areas – national police commissioner Riah Phiyega yesterday singled out these regions for the deployment of the NIU.
Phiyega was addressing a media conference at the Mount Road police station ahead of a tour of the affected areas yesterday and made it clear that crime in the two regions was being made a priority and that NIU members from around the country would be deployed to the city from the end of the week.
“We have noted the increase in serious and violent crime in Port Elizabeth, and the gangsterism,” Phiyega said.
“We have done much work already on the gangsterism. We have identified the gangs and their splinter groups, and we have profiled the 21 groups which are operating in the area,” she said, going on to list activities such as drug dealing, rape, the illegal possession of firearms and robberies as being among the crimes gangs were involved in.
Phiyega said NIU members would be supporting the dedicated gang task team which had been established in the area in June last year.
“The gang task team has already made significant progress and has confiscated 21 firearms and seized large quantities of tik, dagga and mandrax since it was established.
“Ninety-nine arrests have already been made in connection with gang activities and six people have already been brought to court and convicted with sentences, including life sentences.
“To be effective we need the support of the community and we request that the community partner us in addressing this issue,” Phiyega said.
The commissioner acknowledged that gangster- ism in Port Elizabeth had socio-economic roots and could not be completely stopped purely by the police.
“While we, as the police, perform reactionary functions, we recognise that to stop gangsterism in the long term an integrated approach is required. Towards this, we are also working with other community organisations and institutions to tackle the problem in an integrated manner,” she said.
When questioned about what form the new police action would take, Phiyega said it would be a “mixed bag” approach in that police would apply a mixture of their applicable units and strategies to address the problem.
“Yes, we will be using increased visible policing and not just NIU as a reaction [to incidents]. Other units such as crime intelligence, the Tactical Response Team and the Public Order Police will also be utilised,” she said.
Reacting to questions around media reports of police members being involved in the supply of ammunition to gangsters, Phiyega said police viewed “crime as crime” whether it was perpetrated by police officers or the public.
Commenting on the delays around the start-up of Port Elizabeth’s new 10111 call centre, she admitted there had been problems which had led to delays in getting it operational.
“There have been technical problems which have delayed this project. We do, however, expect these to be sorted out within the next two to three months. The centre will certainly be fully operational by the end of the year,” she said.