DIE BLOKKE ROOK – Crime fighters call for more cops in Cape Town shooting hotspots

NewsSportLifestyleEntertainmentOpinionNews Western CapeDIE BLOKKE ROOK – Crime fighters call for more cops in Cape Town shooting hotspotsJim Mohlala|Published 12 minutes agoCopy to ClipboardAsk AIAn AI-generated image showing law enforcement doing a patrol.

The Fight Against Crime SA (FACSA) has called for sustained deployments in shooting hotspots across Cape Town, while SAPS says it will not publicly disclose operational plans.

The FACSA advisory, covering 16 to 19 October, names Hanover Park, Bonteheuwel, Strandfontein, Cafda, Lentegeur, Bokmakierie and Belgravia/The Vlei among the areas with repeated reports of gunfire. FACSA said the list is based on reports it received and is not an official police ranking.

The group’s spokesperson Jay Jay Idel said that FACSA wants deployments in the highlighted areas to go beyond a temporary police presence.

“We are calling for visible, sustained deployments, intelligence-led operations, effective investigations, action against illegal firearms and stronger efforts to prevent retaliatory shootings,”  Idel said.

He said those deployments should be guided by verified intelligence.

“These interventions must be coordinated and guided by verified intelligence, rather than relying solely on temporary deployments after violence occurs.”

He said FACSA shares information with senior SAPS personnel at station and district level, but that resources are decided higher up.

“Station-level officers cannot always address these challenges without the necessary resources and support from senior management.”

SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Van Wyk said the police are monitoring crime trends and allocate resources according to need.

“SAPS continuously monitors crime trends and deploys resources to areas where there is a need for increased police visibility and intervention,” Van Wyk said.

He further told IOL Media that police do not make deployment details public.

“We do not disclose specific operational deployment plans or details of identified hotspots, as this could compromise ongoing policing operations.”

Two of the streets named in the advisory, Dinghie Circle and Korvette Road in Strandfontein, were the scenes of fatal shootings.

Two men aged 33 and 44 were shot dead on Dinghie Circle on Saturday, 17 October 2026 and a 26-year-old man was found dead in Korvette Road on Monday, 19 October.

Strandfontein Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson Sandy Schuter said her precinct has since received extra police resources.

“Our precinct has received additional manpower, operating in a coordinated deployment alongside Metro Police and Law Enforcement.”

Schuter said she patrolled the precinct herself and saw police deployed across the area.

“Following a personal patrol of the area, I can confirm that visible force multipliers are actively deployed not only at identified hotspots, but throughout the entire precinct.”

Schuter called on residents to assist the authorities while the interventions continue.