The safety and well being of members of the SAPS is a priority and all necessary measures are being put in place to ensure that our members are protected.
The National Commissioner, General Riah Phiyega, as well as the management team of Gauteng in particular, takes this matter very seriously. A comprehensive strategy has been finalised and is being implemented. Amongst the issues the strategy talks to are, continual situational awareness of the members, training and utilisation of personal safety gear.
This new strategy is very important particularly at this time when the police have declared war against crime in the country and in Gauteng in particular. Through crime intelligence information, our members are out there in the streets to ensure that criminals are arrested. It is during these confrontations, that our members are attacked.
As the leadership of the police, we are determined to continue with our efforts to intensify the fight against crime. If the criminals think that we will give up because they are shooting at us, then they have another thing coming. We will do this within the confines of the law. We will ensure that our members’ death is not in vain.
The biggest problem we have is illegal firearms. We are busy recovering them from the criminals, but we can do much better with the assistance of the community. Just over the past two months, we have recovered 456 illegal firearms and charged suspects.
It is against this backdrop that we have decided to offer a reward of up to R400 000 for any information that could lead to the arrest and successful conviction of a group of suspects who attacked and killed three police members on the N3 highway and at Park Station recently.
Two police Constables, aged 29 and 36 years-old were killed yesterday when robbers shot at them on the N3 highway. One member died on the scene while another member died in hospital. Another member was injured during the N3 highway shooting incident and was taken to hospital.
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