Premier Paul Mashatile: Launch of the Gauteng Aggravated Robbery Strategy

Chairperson
Executive Mayors present here today
Our law enforcement agencies represented here
Representatives from Business Against Crime (BAC)
Representatives of the banking sector
Members of the media

We have met here today to announce the launch of the Gauteng Aggravated Robbery Strategy.

This launch is a culmination of a lengthy process of consultation and discussions between us as the Gauteng Provincial Government, local government, the South African Police Service (SAPS), communities and representatives of the business community in general and the banking sector in particular.

The launch of this strategy comes after the two-day National Crime Summit that ended yesterday, where various stakeholders deliberated on ways to deal with the scourge of crime in our country.

By launching this strategy, we are lending our support to ongoing efforts by government at all levels to deal effectively with crime.

Furthermore, we are giving expression to the commitment made by the African National Congress (ANC) to intensify the fight against crime in our society.

Critical to the success of this strategy is that law enforcement agencies from all levels of government should work together towards a common objective.

This will ensure that our metro police, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety and the SAPS combine resources in order to strength the fight against crime.

While we have made considerable progress in reducing certain levels of crime in some parts of our province, we remain concerned that aggravated robbery, which refers to residential robbery, business robbery and car hijacking, continues to increase year on year.

In response to this challenge, we developed the Gauteng Aggravated Robbery Strategy, after consultation with relevant stakeholders.

As we launch this strategy we note that interventions by various established units within the SAPS have had some successes with regards to, among others, cash in transit heists and mall robberies.

Through this strategy, we expect to register even more successes in our ongoing fight against aggravated crimes. In particular we expect to substantially increase the number of arrests and prosecution of perpetrators of these crimes.

We believe that the implementation of the Gauteng Aggravated Robbery Strategy will send a strong message to criminal elements operating in Gauteng that the provincial government, acting together with all stakeholders, has the capacity and the will to effectively tackle organised and violent crimes.

Our message to the criminal element operating in Gauteng is that: Your days are numbered. Our commitment to build a safer Gauteng has become even stronger.

The Gauteng Aggravated Robbery Strategy is based on four pillars, namely:
* improving the quality of policing
* mobilisation of communities
* prevention of crime and
* ensuring an effective criminal justice system.

As part of improving the quality of policing we will use our existing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure to develop an intelligence surveillance system to assist law enforcement operations across Gauteng.

In terms of this approach surveillance cameras will be placed in identified areas, which have high incidences of aggravated crimes. We are delighted that the four major banks of our country have agreed to partner with us in the rollout of the surveillance cameras, committing R14 million towards this project. We expect to complete this project within the next three months.

In order to improve access to policing services, we will deploy SAPS mobile units in Diepsloot, Braamfischerville and Zanspruit by February 2009.

To strengthen law enforcement, we have established a special investigation task team which will be responsible for following up on information and investigating cases that have been opened. The unit will also focus on specific groups of suspects.

We are also strengthening our rapid response teams. This we will do by ensuring that there is better coordination among the various Flying Squad teams and introducing additional teams and vehicles.

As the provincial government, we will be making available an additional 80 vehicles by February 2009, to allow our rapid response teams to reach crime scenes speedily.

We have also established an anti-truck hi-jacking unit, which will be deployed in all national and provincial roads within Gauteng.

A total of 20 high powered vehicles and specially trained personnel will be made available to this unit.

In order to strengthen our intelligence surveillance system, we will establish a control and operations room that is directly linked to the Gauteng 10111 Centre. A Crime Management Center which will, among others, assist investigating officers with specialised investigative tools and expertise will also be set up.

In order to strengthen the criminal justice system, we will be working together with national government to align our criminal justice system, from the crime reporting and investigation stage to the court finalisation stage.

In an endeavour to mobilise communities in the fight against aggravated crimes and to support crime prevention initiatives, we will be increasing the number of patrollers across the province from the more than 3 000 we currently have to 10 000 by March 2009.

We are doing all of this in order to give practical meaning to our commitment towards building a crime free Gauteng.

For more information contact:
Simon Zwane
Tel: 011 355 6036
Cell: 082 551 9892

Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
3 December 2008
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za)

Province

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