LEAP Officers confiscate 17 firearms during first month of 2024

The Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers continue to work creating safer communities by conducting various operations and patrols in the hotspot areas where they are deployed. Between 1 and 28 January 2024, the officers confiscated 17 firearms and arrested 1 103 individuals for various crimes. LEAP, which stems from the Western Cape Safety Plan(WCSP) is an initiative of the Western Cape Government(WCG) in partnership with the City of Cape Town(CoCT).

The 17 firearms confiscated were:

• x2 Firearms and x1 revolver in Atlantis;
• x2 Pistols and x1 firearm in Bishop Lavis;
• x1 Firearm and x1 zip gun in Delft;
• x1 Pistol in Gugulethu;
• x1 Revolver and x1 shotgun in Harare;
• x1 Rifle in Khayeltisha;
• x1 Zip gun in Manenberg;
• x1 Pistol in Mfuleni;
• x1 Revolver in Mitchells Plain;
• x1 Shotgun in Nyanga; and
• x1 Pistol in Samora Machel.

Amongst others, the arrests included:

• 13 for the possession of illegal firearms,
• 21 for the possession of imitation firearms,
• 81 for the possession of dangerous weapons,
• 694 for the possession of drugs and
• 24 for dealing in drugs.

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, said: “The increase in the provincial murder rate as per the third quarter crime statistics for the 2023/24 financial year, clearly demonstrates the important role LEAP must play in combatting this trend. This is part of the reason why the WCG initiated the provincial safety plan in 2019 and activated LEAP in 2020. Our aim is to halve the murder rate by 2029.”

Minister Reagen Allen continued; “an independent report, by the Institute of Security Studies, already indicates that between the four provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern and Western Cape, - the Western Cape is the only province that has shown a decrease in the murder rate over the last five years. Thanks to the dedicated work of our LEAP officers, I know that this trend will continue with the overall murder rate continuing to decrease in the next five years.”

LEAP is strategically deployed, and its operations are based on evidence and data so that they support communities most effected. This approach is also used as part of monitoring and evaluation to determine the effectiveness of LEAP and inform a cycle of continuous improvement. This includes our top 10 murder areas in the Western Cape, such as Delft, Gugulethu, Harare, Khayelitsha (Site B policing precinct), Kraaifontein, Mfuleni, Mitchells Plain, Nyanga, Philippi East, and Samora Machel. Other high crime areas in which they are deployed are Atlantis, Bishop Lavis and Hanover Park, along with Lavender Hill, Steenberg and Grassy Park.

LEAP officers work with a multitude of law enforcement agencies which is inclusive of other CoCT Law Enforcement agencies, the South African Police Service, neighbourhood watches, Community Policing Forums and various other stakeholders.

“I want to assure our residents that we will continue our efforts to make this the safest province in the country, as every person in the Western Cape should live in a safe and dignified environment. I urge all our residents to continue working with our LEAP officers so that we do not allow any criminal to get away with their illegal activities,” concluded Minister Reagen Allen.