Pretoria - Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has called on companies in the technology industry to partner with the police to help thwart the latest criminal trends.
Speaking at the launch of the 2013 Tracker/SAPS National Awards on Friday, Mthethwa was confident that collectively, they can outsmart the criminals.
“Collectively with SAPS, we need to begin to innovate wherever possible and consider new and clever ways to curtail vehicle crime, which as we know, is so often at the centre of other forms of violent crime such as armed robbery, murder, cash-in-transit heists and so on.”
Recently, there has been an increase in car remote jamming incidents, which involves the blocking of car remotes using household remotes. This then allows criminals access to vehicles without forced entry.
The SAPS and Tracker partnership, which spans over 17 years, has seen several criminals being arrested for crimes involving vehicles.
This has led to the recovery of over 65 000 stolen vehicles, which has resulted in some 12 000 arrests.
Mthethwa commended this, saying it was proof of what can be achieved when business and government unite with a common goal in mind.
“Government moves from the premise that it is only through strong partnerships that we can create safer environments, which enable economic development, growth and attract investments.”
The awards ceremony is an annual event that honours police officers and units whose efforts have made a significant impact in recovering stolen and hijacked vehicles, thus contributing in the fight against crime in South Africa. - SAnews.gov.za
