Residents of the Garden Route District are today expected to experience a heavy contingent of police officials that have been deployed to execute crime prevention operations at identified locations throughout the District.

The deployments form part of the SAPS Western Cape Policing Strategy (CEPPAT) aimed at creating safer communities through targeted operations that are intelligence-driven.

Coupled with the operations will be police station visits and inspections throughout the District led by SAPS senior management emanating from five other districts and the provincial office with a view to improving service delivery.

Areas that will be covered by the deployments include amongst others, George, Mossel Bay, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Oudtshoorn, Uniondale and Ladismith.

Residents are urged to cooperate and be patient with police officials executing operations as the activities are aimed at improving safety in communities.

CEPPAT is the SAPS Western Cape Policing Strategy conceptualised in February 2022 at a strategic planning session in Mossel Bay. The strategy is underpinned by the following six pillars that form the acronym, namely:

• Cohesive pace-setting leadership

• Evidence-based proactive policing

• Purpose-driven quality investigations

• Partnership policing and professional service delivery

• Appropriate resourcing (and)

• Technology and innovation

The provincial SAPS management is converging in the George area until Thursday for a strategic planning session aimed at enhancing the strategic policing approach for the Western Cape Province. The strategic planning session comes before the release of the 2022/2023 fourth quarter crime statistics scheduled to be released on 30 May 2023 by the Minister of Police.

Meanwhile the provincial commissioner of the Western Cape police, Lt Gen TE Patekile is scheduled to address the media on policing matters on Wednesday 24 May 2023. The time and venue will be communicated in due course.

Source: South African Police Service