Police and farming sector join hands in fighting rural crime

National Police Commissioner, Khehla Sitole lead a high-level meetings in Pretoria on Monday, following an increase in robberies, attacks and murders on especially farms across the country.

The parties discussed interventions on matters of mutual trust including cross boarder crime affecting the farming community and the Economics of Policing.

National police spokesperson, Vishnu Naidoo, says the parties have agreed to pull together and integrate both personnel and resources, including the use of helicopters and drones.

“These centres will be responsible to jointly implement the operational plan of the rural safety strategy which will address the issues of mutual trust as well as achieving the ultimate objective of significantly reducing crime in the rural areas," says Naidoo.

He says the meeting also agreed that it is imperative to customise community policing through the establishment of community-based mounted units, the Royal Reserve Police Service as part of the Traditional Policing concept as well as the Tourism Reservists.

"There was also emphasis placed on addressing a task team, the practical challenges with the recruitment and utilization of reservists to make it more accessible for the farming community," adds Naidoo.

According to Sitole, emphasis will be placed on resourcing police stations at the border, improving intelligence and the establishment of cross-border liaison committees.

"The implementation of stabilisation interventions in hotspot areas is critical to ensuring an effective proactive approach.

“Crime intelligence will enhance its approach in determining the hotspot areas through its continued participation in the priority committee meetings at all levels of policing as well as the establishment of a Rural Safety Analysis desk,” says Sitole.

An integrated team will start by urgently addressing security concerns in the Tlhakgaming area in the North West, among others.

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