The South African Police Service (SAPS) together with several other government departments visited the community of New Brighton, Port Elizabeth in an effort to address the scourge of crime through a community outreach programme today.
The various disciplines of the SAPS together with counterparts of other government departments are working tirelessly to decisively deal with crime in our communities. However, the SAPS cannot achieve this alone. Therefore, the South African Police Service, Departments of Social Development, Health, Sport and Recreation, Basic Education and Public Works have come together with the community of New Brighton and surrounding areas at Nangoza Jebe Hall in New Brighton.
Substance abuse, which includes drug and alcohol abuse are known to be the biggest crime generators in almost all of our communities. The abuse of these substances more often than not are leading to more serious crimes such as murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, house breakings and gangsterism.
In different communities in our country, the abuse of Tik, (crystal meth or methamphetamine), Dagga and alcohol remains a huge challenge which also continues to aggravate poverty and further contributes to child abuse and gender violence.
The imperative of this campaign is to solicit the commitment from various NGO’s and community structures as well as business and religious sectors. Furthermore, this interaction is also meant to ensure that communities create platforms such as drug action committees and Tavern Owners Forums whereby the latter will deal with the responsible sale and consumption of alcohol.
The SAPS has committed to ensure that all schools are linked to police stations and that school safety committees are in place and sustained. Police will continue to revise and implement strategies to prevent and combat crimes through regular patrols and planned operations.
As part of the SAPS’ commitment and the Safer Schools Project, 167 schools were visited in the Motherwell Cluster including New Brighton, KwaZakhele, Motherwell, Kwadwesi, Ikamvelihle, Swartkops, Kinkelbos and Paterson areas over this past week.
Under the same banner there are two major campaigns which SAPS have initiated and ran annually for the past few years. The first is the Schools March and Drill Competition and the second the Schools Debate Competition. The main aim of both these competitions are to involve our youth to take part in activities which generates discipline and education against crimes in our communities as well as to raise awareness against drugs, alcohol abuse and gangsterism. These campaigns have since reached great heights whereby children are now competing on a National level.
Furthermore, the situation in New Brighton or any area in the country for that matter is NOT beyond reclamation. The SAPS through our national, provincial and cluster initiatives are working around the clock to ensure that significant breakthroughs are made in the illegal alcohol and drug trade.
Over the past six months the following successes have been recorded in the Motherwell Cluster alone:-
A total of 3784 arrests have been executed for a variety of crimes including murders, attempted murders, rapes and robberies.
Among these arrests, 683 people were arrested for drug related crimes which is an indication of the serious drug problem in these areas and a variety of drugs including Cocaine, Heroin, Mandrax, Dagga and Tik were recovered.
Over the past 24 hours, a high visibility operation was conducted in both the Motherwell and Mount Road Clusters as part of the build-up to this outreach programme. Various disciplines from K9 Units from all nine provinces as well as SAPS Head Office, Protection and Security Services, Operational Response Services and other government departments joined efforts to ensure maximum results.
The operation yielded the following successes:
- A total of 15 arrests (11- drug related offences; 2- assault; 1-murder;1-attempted murder);
- Confiscations and seizures included Mandrax, Dagga, Tik, knives, prescription drugs and clothing suspected to have been stolen.
- Seventy one traffic fines were issued with a total value of R53 950.
While our men and women in blue are hard at work in the fight against crime, criminals still continue to kill and maim our police men and women persistently. Communities at large are urged to take a stand against this onslaught and to report any suspicious activities to the police as it is only if and when the police and the community work together that crime can successfully be curbed.
Enquiries:
Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo
Cell: 082 567 4153
