Is Operation Shanela succeeding?
Absolutely. It is yielding the desired results. From May last year up until July we had more than 19-million actions that were executed.
What actions?
More than 200,000 premises searched. Persons searched, more than 6-million. Vehicles searched, 2,251,150. Roadblocks, high visibility foot patrols ...
Has this brought down the crime rate?
Absolutely. There've been 760,000 arrests including for murder, rape, drug dealing.
How many prosecutions?
I would have to check. But courts take time, trials take time. I can say that more than 30 drug labs have been traced and shut down.
Why were the fourth quarter crime stats not released?
They were supposed to be released just before the elections.
Wouldn't that have been an ideal time to showcase the successes of Operation Shanela?
I think because of time constraints and everything ...
Not because during this period there were 7,710 murders, around 3,000 rapes, 4,577 kidnappings, 53,513 assaults, 46 cash in transit heists?
Absolutely not. We're one of the few countries that actually releases crime stats. The important thing for us is to use the stats to see whether the policies we're implementing are yielding positive results.
And you say Operation Shanela is?
It has and continues to yield very positive results because it works as a deterrent.
Don't the fourth quarter stats suggest crime is still going up?
I can't comment on them because they haven't been presented or tabled before the portfolio committee on police.
Isn't reducing crime about proper investigations and convictions, not just roadblocks, stop-and-search and foot patrols?
Absolutely. But also about the whole-of-government and community approach. Remember, liquor and drugs are drivers of crime. That is why every week Operation Shanela closes unlicensed liquor premises where many murders are coming from.
Every week we collect not less than 100 illegal firearms. Every week. KwaZulu-Natal is collecting most of the firearms
How successful has Operation Shanela been in collecting illegal firearms?
Every week we collect not less than 100 illegal firearms. Every week. KwaZulu-Natal is collecting most of the firearms.
So why are 18 people being murdered in KZN every day, mostly with illegal firearms?
We've collected more than 7,000 illegal firearms in the last 12 months.
From KZN?
From across the country, but most of them from KZN.
Why is it still awash with illegal firearms then?
We believe we can do more to detect more firearms.
How, and why aren't you?
More than 50% of our successes with illegal firearms are from anonymous community tip-offs. The other 50% is from our own intelligence operations. We are encouraged by the approach and strategy of the KZN SAPS.
To kill suspects rather than arrest them?
It's not that we go out there to take down these criminals. In all the scenes we attend to when tracking armed criminals in KZN we pick up rifles, most of them AK47s. At all those scenes police announce their arrival and they're met with gunfire.
And they can't cope without killing everyone?
Police will always use force proportional to the threat, it's not about coping. If criminals come with water guns we'll use water cannons to arrest them. If they come with live ammunition it leaves us with no choice.
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