Sixty law enforcement officers redeployed to Hanover Park to quell gang violence

Sixty additional Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP) Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) appointed through the Western Cape Safety Plan, were redeployed to quell the latest spate of gang related violence in Hanover Park. The officers have been deployed to assist SAPS in a joint operation.

Over the past week, there have been reports of mass shooting incidents in Hanover Park, Joe Slovo (Milnerton) and Ravensmead.

The Western Cape’s MEC of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, has welcomed the redeployment.

“I wish to commend all actors who have played and are playing a role in ensuring the safety of residents in the province. Going forward, I will be meeting with the Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Matakata on the spate of shootings that we have seen in Hanover Park, as well as Joe Slovo and Ravensmead.”

“In particular, I wish to commend SAPS and the LEOs deployed through the Western Cape Safety Plan which have contributed significantly to towards the stabilization of Hanover Park over the past weekend. Violence and gangsterism has no place in our society and we not tolerate or condone it. I have called on residents to report known criminal elements who disrupt the safety of their community,” Fritz added.

The deployment follows Fritz’s meeting with the local Councillor, Antonio van der Rheede and the Station Commander, Colonel Fredericks on Friday in Hanover Park amid gang violence.

During the meeting, Colonel Fredericks outlined his station’s safety plan to quell violence. 

Fritz added: “I am determined to ensure that the Law Enforcement effort as seen here today (Monday) will be closely linked with a comprehensive Violence Prevention component. Violence Prevention is about working together with all role-players, including parents, schools, NGOs, faith based organisations and local government to ensure that we permanently stop the violence plaguing our communities from happening in the first place. We will particularly work with young people to ensure that they have access to different kinds of opportunities that will show them a path away from violence, apathy and possible gang influence and involvement. In the coming months we will work together with SAPS, LEAP, and Law Enforcement to implement this integrated violence prevention interventions on a sustained basis.”

 

Done By: Mitchum George