SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

WESTERN CAPE
WESTERN CAPE GANG STRATEGY
OPERATION COMBAT

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CONTENTS
 WESTERN CAPE GANG STRATEGY
 OPERATIONAL FOCUS
 DEFINE A GANG
 CRIMINAL DEFINITION: POCA 121/1998
 TYPE AND FEATURES OF GANGS
 GANG SYSTEM
 DRUGS, GANGS AND OTHER CRIMES
 WESTERN CAPE GANG STRATEGY OBJECTIVES
 STATISTICAL OVERVIEW: GANG RELATED MURDER/ATTEMPTED MURDER
 INTERVENTION IN TERMS OF GANG STRATEGY/ EXECUTION
 PILLARS 1- 4
 DRUG VALUE CHAIN: RESPONSOBILITY MATRIX
 NEXUS BETWEEN CRIME: CRIMINAL GROUPS AND GANGS
 CHALLENGES

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WESTERN CAPE GANG STRATEGY

THE WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT HAS A GANG STRATEGY KNOWN AS:

• Social Transformation, Gang Prevention, and Intervention Strategic Framework
(2008)

SAPS GANG STRATEGY EMANATES FROM THE GANG FRAMEWORK:

• SAPS Gang Strategy (2011)

SAPS OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE STRATEGY:

• Operational Combat
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OPERATIONAL FOCUS

WC PROV. GOV: GANG FRAMEWORK (2008) SAPS WC GANG STRATEGY (2011)

• Prov. Government led, of which SAPS is one of multiple
Departments. • SAPS led Operational Activities and in
• (see pages 27-36) partnership.

OPERATIONAL FOCUS
OPERATIONAL FOCUS
 The strategic framework takes a multi-agency and inter-
sectoral approach, this includes
 the establishment of a co-ordinating structure/forum
to guide and monitor implementation of the strategy.
 Aims to be responsive to risk factors & drivers- lead to
 Gang Criminal Investigations
formation and continuity of gangs in certain communities.
 Takes a long term view, recognising that while it is  Strategic Visible Policing Deployment
essential to act in the immediate term, it is also essential to
put programmes in place now that may only bear fruit in
ten years time.  Community mobilisation towards
 Strategic Framework recognises that both adults and development
children are engaged in gangs, most individuals join gangs
while they are still children. (Purpose of prevention &
intervention children and youth should be targeted).  Focused Crime Information/Intelligence
 Incorporates range of different law enforcement & Management
suppression, prevention, early intervention, diversion and
reintegration programmes.
 Recognizes the need for a range of interventions to be
targeted in areas with the most need (identified priority
areas).
 Community involvement in establishing programmes for
that specific community is essential.
 Interventions must include programmes that target the risk
factors of families & communities as well as programmes
that target the risk factors of the individual gang member.
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DEFINE A GANG
CRIMINAL DEFINITION: POCA 121/1998

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CRIMINAL DEFINITION: POCA 121/1998

WESTERN CAPE GANG STRATEGY: OPERATION COMBAT

“...includes any formal or informal ongoing organisation, association, or

group of three or more persons which has one of its activities the
commission of one or more criminal offences, which has an identifiable
name or identifying sign or symbol, and whose members individually or
collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang
activity...”

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TYPES AND FEATURES: GANGS

TYPE FEATURES
Named Gangs
Non-Named Gangs
NAMED GANGS
Prison Gangs
Foreigner’s Gangs • Mainly coloured
School Gangs • Linked to prison gangs
Township Gangs • Sell drugs & liquor
• Cross generational

NON NAMED GANGS

• Mainly Africans
• Commit robberies
• Limited link to prison gangs

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GANG SYSTEM

HOUSEBREAKING HOUSEBREAKING
THEFT

DRUG DEALING
DRUG DEALING

ENFORCER

BUSINESS
ENTERPRISER

BUSINESS
ENTERPRISER

GANG ACTIVITY

GANG ACTIVITY

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DRUGS, GANGS AND OTHER CRIME

ROBBERS GANG GANG

THIEVES MEMBER GROUPS

DRUG
GENERAL USER DISTRIBUTOR
DEALER
RECREATION USER

ADDICT PRIVATE
CORPORATE
ONE
OPERATION
OPERATOR

HOUSEBREAKINGS ROBBERS
THEFT OF MOTOR THIEVES
VEHICLE
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 NEXUS BETWEEN CRIME: CRIMINAL GROUPS AND GANGS

Drugs • Business
• Murder Robberies
• Dealing
• Att. Murder • Hijacking
• Possession
• Abalone Poaching • House Robberies

Gangs Trio Crimes

ARRESTS
FIREARMS
POCA ACT
SARS
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DRUG VALUE CHAIN: RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX

UNITS
CI
HAWKS
Drugs FORENSIC
CI
Drug HAWKS
Components FORENSIC
CI
HAWKS
Manufacturers FLYING SQUAD

Storage / CI
Ware-housing HAWKS

CI
Main Entry routes (include HAWKS
postal) BORDER POLICE CLUSTERS
FLYING SQUAD DOG UNITS

CI
Distributors / CLUSTERS
Wholesalers (SOP)

CI CLUSTERS/
HAWKS STATIONS
Couriers FORENSIC FLYING SQUAD
CI
CLUSTERS/STATIONS
Sellers FLYING SQUAD

CI
Buyers / End users CLUSTERS/STATIONS
FLYING SQUAD 11
WESTERN CAPE GANG STRATEGY OBJECTIVE

THE STRATEGY IS DESIGNED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE 8 KEY OBJECTIVES:

 To dislodge and terminally weaken the capacity of the gangs to operate in
the selected communities.
 To disorganise and fundamentally disable the criminal economy linked to
the gangs.
 To construct prosecution ready criminal case dockets against
gangs/members implicated in specific criminal acts/incidents.
 To construct a series of POCA Act cases for gangs - identified 15 gangs.
 To disable the prison gang influence on the communities beyond prison.
 To eliminate the propensity of criminal gangs to corrupt police officials.
 To mobilize and organise communities against gangs and their criminal
activities.
 To ensure that visible policing is deployed in a manner that prevents gangs
from operating/flourishing and ensures seizure of illegal drugs and illegal
and or unauthorised firearms.

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THREE PRONGED APPROACH

INTELLIGENCE AND INVESTIGATIVE ,OPERATIONAL & VISIBLE

APPROACH:

• Disrupt; Dislodge; Disorganise

– TARGETTED FOCUS =
» FIREARMS SUPPLY
» DRUGS SUPPLY CHAIN
» 15 X GANGS
» GEOGRAPHICAL DEPLOYMENT IN DESIGNATED
AREAS

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INTERVENTION IN TERMS OF GANG STRATEGY /
EXECUTION

The emphasis was on developing a target focused approach under the gang
strategy against street and prison gangs, guided by the following pillars:

 Gang Criminal Investigations

 Strategic Visible Policing Deployment

 Community mobilisation towards development

 Focused Crime Information/Intelligence Management

Execution :
 Visible Policing
 Dedicated Investigation
 Crime Intelligence
 Deployment at Identified Gang Stations 14
PILLARS 1- 4

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 1
PILLAR ONE: GANG CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

 Centralisation of dockets against targets

 Compilation of Threat files for identified targets
 Monthly inspections of Target threat files
 Periodic docket inspections by Provincial Head/Commander
 Inspections by Cluster, Station and Branch Commanders
 POCA focused investigations / specialised NPA focus
 Bi-weekly monitoring and review meetings with NPA
 Provincial, Cluster and Branch level specialisation in gang investigations

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 2
PILLAR TWO: STRATEGIC VISIBLE POLICING DEPLOYMENT

 Target driven operational planning at Station, Cluster and Provincial

level
 Dedicated Gang Incident Response
 Target focused disruptive and interception teams
 Monitoring of productivity on Targets at Station, Cluster & Provincial
levels

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 3
PILLAR THREE: COMMUNITY MOBILISATION TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT

 Focused community mobilisation against identified

targets/areas
 Social crime prevention programmes
 Creation of broad mobilisation forums against gangsterism
and drugs at station level (e.g. CPF’s, NHW, Business Watch,
School Safety Programme)

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 4
PILLAR FOUR: FOCUSED INFORMATION/INTELLIGENCE MANAGEMENT

 Integrated information /Intelligence management capability for

Operation Combat established at Provincial level

 Informant /Intelligence management through

 Target focused :
 Firearms
 Groups

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DRUG VALUE CHAIN: RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX

UNITS
CI
HAWKS
Drugs FORENSIC
CI
Drug HAWKS
Components FORENSIC
CI
HAWKS
Manufacturers FLYING SQUAD

Storage / CI
Ware-housing HAWKS

CI
Main Entry routes (include HAWKS
postal) BORDER POLICE CLUSTERS
FLYING SQUAD DOG UNITS

CI
Distributors / CLUSTERS
Wholesalers (SOP)

CI CLUSTERS/
HAWKS STATIONS
Couriers FORENSIC FLYING SQUAD
CI
CLUSTERS/STATIONS
Sellers FLYING SQUAD

CI
Buyers / End users CLUSTERS/STATIONS
FLYING SQUAD 20
WESTERN CAPE GANG STRATEGY: OPERATION COMBAT

CHALLENGES

 Very Limited implementation of WC government Gang Strategy

 Non reporting mechanism into Prov government Strategy
 Structure of Gangs
 Criminal economy and attempts at Corporatisation

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Thank you

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