More law enforcement officers to be deployed during Easter weekend
Both personnel and vehicles have been deployed to most parts of the province to deal with lawlessness during the Easter weekend.
The Gauteng Law Enforcement Agencies have developed an integrated law enforcement plan that aims to contribute to the reduction of both road traffic fatalities and crime in general during the Easter long weekend.
The Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Community Safety in Gauteng, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, accompanied by senior officials from the Law Enforcement Agencies, will lead a series of heightened law enforcement activities which will be carried out in a vigorous manner across the province, especially at identified freeways and hot spots in the province.
Also Read: Joburg Metro Police make more than 800 Easter arrests
The Easter weekend is usually characterised by high traffic volumes to various pilgrimage and holiday destinations and the MEC will use this platform to interact with drivers and commuters on crime and road safety issues ahead of the Easter season.
“The Law Enforcement Agencies have been deployed in most parts of the province to deal with lawlessness during the Easter weekend. We will further complement enforcement initiatives this Easter season by deploying community patrollers at identified public transport hubs to provide help and support to the general travelling public. We have in recent times experienced serious forms of dangerous driving such as reckless and negligent driving, disregard of traffic signals and passenger overloading, due to the rush to make a profit, especially during the Easter season.
“Easter 2017 saw Gauteng record a 57 per cent increase in road fatalities, with 38 people losing their lives on our roads. What is of concern is that many of these were pedestrians.
While the focus is on road safety, we can also not disregard the fact that criminal acts continue to rise during this season. Some of these increases can be attributed to the abuse of alcohol and drugs,” said Nkosi-Malobane.
“We have strengthened our capacity by an additional 1 266 police officers and deployed 859 high performance vehicles to improve police response and visibility. These vehicles have been fitted with latest technology, including trackers and number plate recognition.
“I am confident that our law enforcement officers will work tirelessly to reduce road fatalities and combat crime. I call upon all law enforcement authorities to act decisively in dealing with drivers who don’t comply with the rules of the road and appeal to road users to be vigilant and patient, and to adhere to the rules of the road to protect their lives and those of their passengers,” concluded Nkosi-Malobane.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
