LEAP officers arrest more than 1 100 suspects during October

The Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers continue to be impactful. Between 2 and 29 October 2023, the officers arrested 1 174 individuals, while also confiscating 24 firearms from across the metro. 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 firearms confiscated are:

• 1x Zip Gun in Kraaifontein;
• 2x Pistols in Bishop Lavis;
• 1x Zip Gun in Gugulethu;
• 1x Firearm and x1 Zip Gun in Samora Machel;
• 1x Firearm in Nyanga;
• 1x Firearm in Atlantis;
• 2x Pistols in Philippi East;
• 4x Pistols in Delft;
• 2x Pistols and 2x Zip Guns in Mfuleni;
• 1x Firearm in Harare;
• 1x Pistol in Grassy Park and
• 1x Pistol, 1x Revolver and 2x Firearms in Manenberg

Amongst others, the arrests included:

• 25 for the possession of illegal firearms,
• 16 for the possession of imitation firearms,
• 93 for the possession of dangerous weapons,
• 715 for the possession of drugs and
• 30 for dealing in drugs.

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, said; “both September and October proved to be challenging months with worryingly high numbers of fatal shootings occurring in various areas across the Cape Metro. The number of arrests and confiscations, therefore, play a critical role in reversing some of these dreadful events that occurred recently. We initiated LEAP as a means to combat murders in the hotspot areas, and I want to assure our residents that we will remain resolute in our efforts. Our aim as the Western Cape Government is to halve the murder rate by 2029, and this will not change.”

LEAP is strategically deployed, and its operations are based on evidence and data. 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 City of Cape Town Law Enforcement agencies, the South African Police Service (SAPS), neighbourhood watches (NHWs), Community Policing Forums (CPFs) and various other stakeholders.

“I urge our safety stakeholders, residents and society at large to not stop working with our LEAP officers. The more we collaborate, the greater our chance of making a dent in our crime fighting efforts. It is critical that we remain aligned, as this will ensure safer communities,” concluded Minister Reagen Allen.