CoCT requested joint policing intervention from SAPS to deal with gang violence - Smith

Source: EWN Traffic
Author: Ntuthuzelo Nene

CAPE TOWN - Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, says he has requested from the South African Police Service (SAPS) an urgent joint policing intervention and intensification of boots on the ground at gang hotspots.

This comes as gang violence has flared in recent weeks in areas, including Manenberg and Lavender Hill.

It's understood that five people were shot and killed in Lavender Hill over the weekend in the space of 24 hours.

The municipality said it had since added more boots on the ground to avert the deadly shootings.

Smith said that an urgent meeting with police management was held last week Thursday to come up with a plan to deal with the situation.

"In this meeting, the city requested an urgent joint policing intervention and intensification of boots on the ground, investigative interventions and technologies in the gang hotspots and proposed a joint operations centre which could coordinate these interventions.

"This was agreed to by all and the city continues to follow up with the South African Police Service to activate this intervention, which will seek to change the method of intervention in the past and achieve more impactful outcomes."