188 vehicles to intensify police operations handed over in KZN

Durban — With new vehicles allocated in KwaZulu-Natal, the police have intensified operations.

This was according to police after commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi handed over 188 vehicles which included mobile Community Service Centres (CSC), tow trucks and motorbikes to stations and units during a parade.

The parade was held at the Truro Hall Sports Ground in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg on May 15.

KZN police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi handed over a total of 188 vehicles which included mobile Community Service Centres, tow trucks and motorbikes to stations and units at a parade. Picture: Supplied

Police said the allocation of resources coincided with the provincial management’s strategy to intensify operations throughout the province as well as crime intelligence-led targeted operations at identified hot spot areas.

Mobile Community Service Centres will bring relief to communities at rural stations which are responsible for vast areas where residents travel long distances to access services, police said.

Handing over vehicle keys to district commanders at the parade, Mkhwanazi reminded drivers to take care of the new resources saying police vehicles must never be used for private purposes.

KZN police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi handed over 188 vehicles which included mobile Community Service Centres, tow trucks and motorbikes to stations and units at a parade. Picture: Supplied

Mkhwanazi also reiterated the fact that sector policing vehicles must never leave their area of operation so that communities have vehicles available whenever they need police services.

“These are not your vehicles, they belong to the communities because they are meant to serve them. They are there to help you render quality, swift and reliable services to the people of this province and any misuse of these resources will be met with the strict application of consequence management measures,” Mkhwanazi warned.

The new resources are expected to capacitate operational endeavours to keep criminals at bay and to maintain stability, peace, law and order in KZN.

When Police Minister Bheki Cele released Quarter 3 Crime Statistics in February, he said while the crime figures did not paint an overall positive picture of the crime situation in the country, they did however, show that police were pushing back on criminality through visible policing and disruptive operations.

He said the more boots on the ground (mantra) was not just a slogan, its impact had been felt and was starting to make a difference in communities.

Speaking on KZN, Cele said: “Investigations into mass shootings in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have resulted in arrests in Bityi and Nomzamo Pietermaritzburg and KwaNobuhle.”

He also said the Political Task Team investigating murders in KZN continued to arrest hit men and those who ordered assassinations on their political rivals.