The City’s Neighbourhood Safety Team (NST) in Bonteheuwel made 49 arrests in its first month of operations.

Formally launched at the beginning of July 2019, the unit which is dedicated to Bonteheuwel and surrounds, got to work full steam from the 5th of July.

By the end of the month, the team had racked up the following statistics:

• 49 arrests (for possession of drugs, illegal firearms and ammunition and possession of suspected stolen property)
• 2 illegal firearms and five rounds of ammunition recovered
• 391 units of drugs impounded
• R4 605 in cash confiscated
• Recovered 43 kilograms of stolen cable
• 280 fines (traffic and by-law infringements) issued
• 50 joint, integrated and autonomous operations held
• 3 374 persons searched

​​Equally important is that there has been a significant downturn in the number of gang-related murders in the area since the deployment of the Neighbourhood Safety Team. Whether coincidence or as a direct result of the increased level of policing is not clear, but we are extremely grateful nonetheless,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

The NST concept was first launched in Delft in December 2017. Officers are deployed on a shift basis, with special focus areas including public transport interchanges, shopping areas and hotspots within the area identified through crime pattern analyses. Their enforcement initiatives are supported by specialised units from the Metro Police, Traffic and Law Enforcement Departments.

The community of Bonteheuwel has, like many others, been struggling with crime and violence for many years. It is early days yet, but we hope that, as the NST settles in, that residents will start reaching out more with tips and intelligence that could help bring those with criminal intent to justice, and make the streets of the area safer for law abiding citizens,’ added Alderman Smith.

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