Crime tip-offs lead to over 3 000 arrests

More than 3 000 arrests have been made during 2007 and 2014 as a direct result of tipoffs received through Crime Stop and Crime Line combined.

National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega made the announcement during the signing of a renewed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Primedia.

In 2007, SAPS and the Primedia Group entered into a MOU through which Crime Line, the anonymous tip-off line, was formed.

Crime Line receives tip-offs on criminal activities from members of the public, which are then sent through to the SAPS’s Crime Stop for further action.

Commissioner Phiyega, said the updated and renewed MOU would strengthen the partnership and re-invigorated efforts to tackle the criminal element, in unity.

She said the relationship between the two entities has grown over the past seven years.

Commissioner Phiyega said, to date, over R56 million worth of illegal or unlawfully obtained property and goods have been seized.

“In addition, as a result of the Drug Watch campaign conducted in Gauteng and the Western Cape, approximately 30 000 people have been taken into custody.

“Under the electricity theft campaign, Operation Khanyisa, 2 829 Eskom cases have been solved,” she said.

Commissioner Phiyega, thanked all whistle blowers and police officers for their part in the fight against crime.

“Let’s not forget that sometimes responding to an anonymous tip-off can be just as, if not more, dangerous than responding to, for example, a bank robbery in progress because you have no idea what is awaiting you at that house, in that car in that isolated area.”

She urged whistle blowers to report on the brutal murder of police officers as well as corrupt police officers, who are involved in criminal activity via the Crime Stop or Crime Line numbers.

Head of Crime Line Yusuf Abramjee reiterated that police needed communities to be their eyes and ears, while the communities need the police to act on their information and place criminals behind bars.

“This model is being used successfully all over the world, but it is without a doubt that South Africa is leading the way. We are planning to take this model to all parts of our continent,” he said.