By REGINALD KANYANE

30 August 2026 – The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Northern Cape continues to intensify its crime-fighting efforts in support of the SAPS Reset Agenda. The agenda places renewed emphasis on professional policing, enhanced operational effectiveness, intelligence-led crime prevention, improved investigations, strengthened community partnerships and decisive action against criminality.

The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Colonel Cherelle Ehlers said these intensified policing interventions follow the recent release of the Quarter 1 Crime Statistics for the 2026/2027 financial year, covering the period from 1 April to 30 June 2026. Ehlers said the statistics provide important indicators of the crime challenges facing the Northern Cape and reinforce the need for targeted, sustained and intelligence-led interventions across identified crime hotspots and areas of concern.

“In response, the Northern Cape SAPS continues to mobilise available resources through Operation Shanela II, including disruptive operations led by senior officers under Operation Basadi. These efforts are conducted in collaboration with community structures, other law enforcement agencies, government departments and key stakeholders.

“From 24 to 30 August 2026, intelligence-led operations conducted throughout the province resulted in the arrest of 391 suspects for various offences. The operations were specifically aimed at disrupting criminal networks, preventing crime and enhancing police visibility in communities,” she said.

Ehlers further said interventions included stop-and-search operations, Vehicle Check Points (VCPs), roadblocks and high-visibility patrols. She added that during these operations, a total of 11 453 individuals and 4747 vehicles were stopped and searched.

“The police also intensified efforts to locate and apprehend wanted suspects who had been evading arrest or failing to appear in court. Detective-led tracing operations resulted in the apprehension of 204 wanted suspects, contributing to the Reset Agenda’s objective of strengthening the criminal justice value chain and ensuring that offenders are brought before the courts.

“The Northern Cape SAPS continues to prioritise crimes that have a direct and significant impact on communities. Drug-related crime remains a key operational priority with 95 suspects arrested for drug-related offences during the reporting period,” said Ehlers.

She said substantial quantities of drugs were also confiscated during the operations. Ehlers said contact-related crimes, including murder, rape, attempted murder, assault with intent to cause Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) and common assault, continue to receive focused attention.

“A total of 78 suspects were arrested in connection with contact-related offences. These interventions are informed by crime intelligence and the analysis of crime patterns and trends identified through the Quarter 1 crime statistics.

“The approach is aimed not only at responding to crimes after they occur, but also at proactively disrupting the conditions, individuals and networks that facilitate criminal activity. As part of the integrated policing approach, compliance inspections were conducted in collaboration with relevant authorities at liquor outlets, second-hand goods dealers, scrapyards, recycling facilities, firearm dealerships, and formal and informal businesses,” said Ehlers.

She said these interventions resulted in the closure of 26 unlicensed liquor outlets found to be operating in contravention of applicable legislation and regulations. Ehlers said during stop-and-search and other disruptive operations, the police also confiscated alcohol and dangerous weapons, thereby removing potential instruments of violence from communities.

“The SAPS recognises the role that alcohol abuse, substance abuse and the availability of dangerous weapons can play in fuelling contact-related and other serious crimes. Consequently, these areas remain integral to the province’s crime-prevention and enforcement strategy.

“The Reset Agenda also recognises that sustainable crime reduction cannot be achieved by the police alone. The Northern Cape SAPS therefore continues to strengthen partnerships with Community Policing Forums, community structures, traditional and local leadership, government departments, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders,” she said.

Ehlers said during the reporting period, several community outreach programmes and awareness campaigns were conducted as part of Women’s Month activities. She said these initiatives focused on raising awareness of crime prevention, Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), strengthening community participation and encouraging members of the public to work with the police to create safer communities.

Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, emphasises that the release of the Quarter 1 crime statistics should not be viewed solely as a reflection of crime levels, but also as a tool for refining policing interventions and ensuring that resources and operational activities are directed towards areas and crimes requiring the greatest attention. Otola said the Northern Cape SAPS remains committed to implementing the SAPS Reset Agenda through disciplined, visible, intelligence-led and community-centred policing.

“The organisation will continue to strengthen its crime-prevention, investigation, forensic and victim-support capabilities while ensuring that perpetrators are pursued relentlessly and brought before the courts.

“The Reset Agenda requires us to remain agile, accountable and responsive to the crime challenges identified through our crime statistics. We will continue to strengthen our operational footprint, disrupt criminal activities and work with our communities and partners to create safer communities throughout the Northern Cape,” she said.

Otola said the Northern Cape SAPS further calls on communities to continue providing information about criminal activities and wanted suspects through the appropriate SAPS channels. She said community intelligence remains an essential component of effective policing and information supplied by members of the public enables police to conduct targeted and intelligence-led operations.

“The Northern Cape SAPS remains resolute in its commitment to Reset, Refocus and Reinforce its policing approach, ensuring that crime-fighting efforts remain focused, professional, intelligence-led and responsive to the needs of the people of the province,” said Otola.

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