Parliament, Sunday, 13 August 2017 – The Portfolio Committee on Police will on Tuesday, 16 August 2017, receive a briefing from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) on anti-gang strategies and progress made by the newly established unit dealing with illegal firearms.
The Committee has been calling for intensified anti-gang and illegal gun strategies from SAPS, focusing in the Western Cape, Gauteng and the KwaZulu-Natal.
“We have too many incidents, especially in the Cape Flats, where young children are the victims of intra-gang strife. We need to strengthen the multipronged approach to deal with the circulation of illegal firearms and the sources of the illegal firearms that are used in carrying out violent crimes,” said the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Francois Beukman.
Mr Beukman said Tuesday’s meeting will afford Committee members an opportunity to interrogate and propose additions to the strategies tabled by SAPS and the Hawks.
Mr Beukman added that the need to strengthen community relations in areas affected by gangsters is a big task, and more resources should be made available to the Crime Intelligence division to increase their footprint in the affected areas.
On the new unit tasked with fighting the proliferation of illegal firearms, Mr Beukman said this unit is a priority for the Committee and those responsible for it should ensure that the necessary plans and resources are in place to deal with the challenges. “More delays in the setting up of this unit cannot be allowed to persist,” added Mr Beukman.
The Committee believes functional specialised units are the future of policing, as they enable police to target difficult environments. These units should, therefore, be resourced with experts and state-of-the-art technology to deal with crime.
The Committee says crimes resulting from illegal firearms should be tackled head-on and the Committee will interrogate the current rates of arrests and prosecutions.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR FRANCOIS BEUKMAN
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Temba Gubula
Parliamentary Communication Services
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Email: tgubula@parliament.gov.za
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