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More cops take to the streets
05/03/2007 19:05 - (SA)
Johannesburg - A new initiative to tackle crimes such as house robberies and hijackings was unveiled by national police commissioner Jackie Selebi on Monday.
He told an Interpol conference in Johannesburg the move included the deployment of hundreds more police officers in areas where these crimes were common.
Not all the extra staff would work conventional hours. Instead, they would be deployed according to crime patterns.
Selebi said the extra policemen had been deployed in the past weeks in terms of the national plan against crime.
Gauteng had been divided into four areas - Pretoria, Johannesburg, southern Johannesburg and the East Rand.
Volunteered to work overtime
Certain police stations in areas such as Garsfontein in Pretoria would get 100 extra officers each.
Under the new initiative many officers had volunteered to work overtime, Selebi said.
He expressed confidence that crime levels would come down within the next two months.
National police spokesperson Sally de Beer said police stations with a high incidence of the crimes targeted had been identified in all nine provinces.
"Additional human resources and equipment will be deployed. They will work according to crime patterns."
Choppers will be used
De Beer said reserves also would be called to improve police visibility in the areas hardest hit by the crimes concerned.
Helicopters would be used.
"We will make sure that members on duty will have enough vehicles and equipment at their disposal to do the job properly," said De Beer.
- SAPA
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