SAPS reviewing Western Cape gang violence strategy: Masemola – SABC News
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola says they are reviewing their strategy to fight gang violence in the Western Cape.
He was interviewed by SABC News at the International Interpol Conference in Cape Town on Thursday.
Masemola says over 200 police officers were deployed in the Western Cape from other provinces last month.
He says, “We also have a team from this province that is dealing with the current gang violence we have in the province. It’s unfortunate that when you arrest a lot of them, there is a vacuum in leadership, and you have a problem with fighting for leadership, which we are now saying, ‘Let’s not take out the leaders, let’s take everyone so that there isn’t room to keep fighting and endangering the lives of the citizens.’ So we are busy relooking at our strategy in terms of how we are going to deal with it.”
Masemola says he is confident that they will be able to tackle gang violence in the province.
He says, “Of course also we are going to tap on other government departments to come on board to deal with other social matters, issues that are of a problems especially accessibility of policing and of course also kids that don’t go to school, they become vulnerable and become victims for gangsterism, that does not require policing, but in terms of fighting gangs, firearms and drugs that is our job and we are reviewing our strategies. We will definitely make an impact with the resources we have together with the metro police.”