In the first few weeks of deployment, LEAP officers in Hanover Park have made more than two dozen arrests, ranging from possession of drugs to theft and rape.
Law Enforcement officers in Hanover Park have made at least 33 arrests since their deployment in mid-October.
The deployment in terms of the Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP) came about following an upsurge in gang-related violence in the area.
A total of 80 LEAP officers have been working on a shift basis in Hanover Park – one of five deployment clusters in policing precincts with high crime rates.
Among the arrests recorded since 18 October 2020, are:
- 13 for possession of drugs
- Eight for possession of drugs, ammunition and/or dangerous weapons
- Six for possession of dangerous weapons
- Two for theft
- Two on charges of malicious damage to property
- One for domestic violence
- One on a charge of rape
Officers also issued 533 fines for various traffic and by-law transgressions.
‘We’re immensely proud of the work being done by our enforcement agencies, and particularly the LEAP officers who are a dedicated presence in some of our biggest crime hotspots. It bears repeating that these officers are there to assist the South African Police Service, improve visible policing and tackle bylaw offences. This frees up the SAPS and other specialised units to focus on the serious and violent crimes being perpetrated in many of our communities.
‘It is important to note that, since the LEAP deployment in Hanover Park, there has been a significant downturn in the number of shooting incidents in the area. The City and the Western Cape Government are committed, through the LEAP initiative, to help improve safety in areas that have been ravaged by crime for far too long,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.