Gauteng Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela says crime fighting is the number one priority and they are making strides through Operation Shanela.
The province has in recent days seen an increase in violent crimes ranging from, rape, murder, robbers, zama zamas and cash-in-transit (heists), hijacking and kidnapping.
According to the recent crime statistics, 3 481 kidnappings were reported nationally between April and June, with Gauteng accounting for 1 931 of the cases.
The operation is an anti-crime campaign to curb crime in the province.
Mawela and a number of police personnel including Home Affairs immigration (personnel) took to the streets of Randfontein, west of Joburg yesterday heightening police visibility and searching motorists of any potential crime.
Motorists were stopped and searched, a move which some motorists welcomed.
Motorist Boitumelo Morake said he welcomed this operation and said more police visibility was needed to stop criminals in their tracks.
Over 800 people have been arrested since the operation began yesterday.
The detectives on Wednesday started with searching of known and wanted suspects of which they arrested 818 across the province.
“We are grateful about that. This Operation Shanela is not only where I am, we have teams operating in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Joburg, Sedibeng. I’m supporting Major-General Fred Kekana here in the West Rand. We hope that today will achieve better results which will bring some confidence to our people,” said Mawela.
It has been revealed that Randfontein is among the country’s top 30 police stations where a high crime rate has been reported.
“Randfontein is one of our national top 30 police stations, so it generates a lot of crime. It’s hottest hot spot area is Mohlakeng. But here is this road called N14 that connects us with Rustenburg and Ventersdorp in the North West, so the people who are travelling here, especially CIT perpetrators, most of the time escape using this road,” said Mawela.
He said hijackers also used the road and they were aware of illegal mining by zama zamas in that area.
Zandspruit which is nearby is regarded as a hot spot and is ranked fourth in terms of crime levels in Gauteng. Two years ago a deadly mob attack left four people dead.
Over 200 community members took nine boys to a local sports ground where they were beaten up and set alight after residents accused them of terrorising the community.
About 14 suspects are still behind bars for their alleged role in those murders.
Regina Malley, mother of one of the victims Irvin Malley speaking to one of the broadcasters said she was woken up by a mob who demanded to see her son.
“The mob carrying sjamboks and pangas, some with covered faces, forced my son out of his room. The mob accused my son of being a criminal, so I asked why not call the police. I also asked what evidence they had to prove that he was a criminal? I called my other son to go with them. I did not want to witness my son being killed,” said Malley, sobbing.
Her son left two children behind and his 6-year-old watched a video where his father was killed.
“My grandson is traumatised, he is full of anger, he did not receive any counselling. He told me he wants to become a policeman and wants to arrest those who killed his father,” said Malley.