The SAPS Provincial Second-Hand Goods Dealer Forum (PSDF) held its first meeting on Tuesday. Picture: SAPS
THE SAPS Provincial Second-Hand Goods Dealer Forum (PSDF) held its first meeting on Tuesday at the Kimberley SAPS gymnasium to discourage the sale of stolen goods.
The meeting was attended by Transnet Second-Hand Goods dealers, recycling businesses and designated police officers from Galeshewe, Kagisho and Roodepan.
Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock said the forum was co-ordinated by the provincial SAPS Firearm and Second-Hand Goods (Flash) unit under the command of Colonel Michael Diamond, the acting provincial head of Flash and Police Emergency Services.
Kock stated that presentations were made on the current status of property-related and non-ferrous metal crimes in the Frances Baard District and the types of essential infrastructure cables that were stolen as well as the negative impact it had on the rail industry.
“The theft of cables poses a life-threatening danger and results in substantial financial losses. The purpose of the meeting is to establish sound co-operation, collaboration and communication between SAPS and the relevant stakeholders in order to address and combat property-related and essential infrastructure crimes, which remains a priority to the provincial commissioner.”
Kock added that the forum served as a platform to share information and identify trends and hot-spot areas to combat these crimes.
“The PSDF will implement an anti-crime communication strategy and plans to educate and create continuous awareness in this regard.
“The forum is assisted by a team of dedicated detectives from the Essential Infrastructure Task Team (EITT) to clamp down on crimes relating to essential infrastructure and envisages to roll out the PSDF throughout the Province,” Kock said.