The Free State Police continued to achieve successes during the ongoing Operation Safer Festive Season this week, resulting in the arrest of more than 896 persons. The operation, which is strategically coordinated across all provinces, has made significant strides in tackling various criminal activities, enhancing visibility, and ensuring a safer environment for our communities.
Throughout the operation, members have been deployed across hotspot areas, including shopping malls, taxi ranks, highways and popular tourist destinations. This visible policing has helped deter criminal activities and provide peace of mind to the public. In the process, 245 premises, 9714 persons and 4544 vehicles were searched. Police conducted 135 high-visibility patrols, 191 vehicle checkpoints, and 22 roadblocks throughout the province. They also visited 288 liquor outlets, 433 formal businesses and 1778 informal businesses. In order to increase visibility in rural areas, they visited 891 farms.
Through intelligence-driven operations, the SAPS has conducted several successful tracing operations, resulting in the arrest of 316 wanted criminals. Over 580 suspects have been apprehended for various crimes, including murder, possession of dangerous weapons, possession of drugs, robbery, rape and assault. Fifteen people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and 122 illegal immigrants were arrested.
Foodborne safety operations were conducted at tuck shops across the province where 906 tuck shops were visited and two were closed. As part of our commitment to ensuring public health and safety, these operations have focused on monitoring and enforcing compliance with food safety standards in local food establishments, especially tuck shops, which serve a significant portion of our communities.
The Provincial Commissioner of the Police in the Free State, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, thanked the community and private security companies for their contributions to the successes achieved. “I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated men and women of the South African Police Service, as well as our partners in law enforcement and the public, whose collective efforts have contributed to the success of this operation. We will continue to intensify our efforts until the end of the festive season and beyond, ensuring that Free State remains a safe place for all,” said Lt Gen Motswenyane.
Provincial Commissioner applauds success of Operation Safer Festive Season https://t.co/OiDDDyaSte#ArriveAlive #TrioCrimes #Operation #SaferFestiveSeason @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/BdyqDSiuEI
– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) November 27, 2024
