With the conclusion of the Festive Season and people transitioning back to their daily lives, the Newcastle South African Police Service (SAPS) emerges as a commendable force for maintaining law and order throughout the holiday period.
This comes as the local police successfully apprehended close to 200 individuals in December 2023, showcasing their dedication to ensuring public safety.
Lizzy Arumugam, the spokesperson for Newcastle SAPS, provided insights into the achievements, stating, “The police members have been working extremely hard over the festive period and have made 190 arrests for various crimes.”
Arumugam further outlined the range of offences leading to the arrests, these include:
- Drug possession
- Theft
- Theft of a motor vehicle
- House break-ins
- Business burglaries
- Possession of unlicensed firearms
- Gender-based violence
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
- Possession of stolen property
- Perjury
- Crimen injuria
- Robbery with a weapon.
Having made a substantial number of arrests during December 2023, Arumugam noted the festive season roadblocks proved to be a successful tool in combating crime during the past month.
Considering this, she said, “The roadblock duties will continue until further notice.”
As the police now gear up to ensure their success rate continues, Arumugam stated, “We would like to thank all the security companies, Newcastle Community Policing Forum, traffic officers, and all the other role players, and community members, who worked with the Newcastle SAPS to combat the crime.”
With law enforcement actively countering criminal activities in Newcastle, the community is encouraged to share their thoughts on these efforts in the comment section below.
