Blowing the whistle on crime

Members of the public can SMS 32211 (at a cost of R1.00 each), 24 hours a day, with any tip-offs about crime or criminals to a data centre operating out of Primedia Place, Johannesburg. The centre is manned by data capturers who have received training from the SAPS. Primedia has also established a website, www.crimeline.co.za.

Director Sally de Beer, spokesperson for National Police Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, said that an armed robbery suspect was taken into custody at 3am on Saturday, 9 June 2007, at an address in Rustenburg in the North West province.

“An anonymous SMS came through Primedia's 32211 number. We were tipped-off on the whereabouts of the man who has been linked to an armed robbery. His possible involvement in other crimes will be investigated. Police followed-up the information and made the breakthrough [early on Saturday],” said de Beer.

“Only hours after the launch

“The SAPS is delighted that only hours after the launch of Primedia's Crime Line, the first criminal was nabbed. National police commissioner Jackie Selebi is very pleased and has congratulated the anonymous whistle-blower, the police and Primedia. We are confident that this is the first of many more arrests to come,” she added.

Primedia - the holding company for 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Talk Radio 702, 567 Cape Talk, 94.5 Kfm, iAfrica.com, Ster-Kinekor and CineMARK, among others - will be investing R50 million in advertising/editorial space over the next year for this campaign. The police has pledged a further R25-million.

Primedia's anti-crime campaign is backed by the full support of the Minister for Safety and Security, Charles Nqakula, and the national police commissioner Jackie Selebi, and encourages the public to report crime anonymously if necessary, without fear of victimisation or reprisals.

Says Primedia's national anti-crime initiative manager, Yusuf Abramjee, “This is fantastic. It reinforces the fact that the community can and has to play a role in making our country safer. I can also confirm that information from across the country is pouring in. The campaign was launched on Thursday [7 June] and hundreds of SMSes and on-line tip-offs have since been received. This is encouraging.

“It shows the public has information about criminals and crimes that are to take place and they are now breaking their silence. We want to congratulate the SAPS for the first breakthrough. It came just over 24 hours after the launch.”

Fingerprint identification

Also in a bid to help in the fight against crime, Talk Radio 702 and morning show host, John Robbie, handed over 65 ID Tool machines, worth R45 000 each, to the SAPS on Thursday, 7 June.

The ID Tool machine is a small mobile fingerprint identification device currently being used by the SAPS to identify wanted suspects and criminals. Each device is linked to the central national data-base located at the National Office in Pretoria, which contains data regarding all wanted criminals in South Africa. By placing a suspect's finger on a tiny touch pad, police can find out if they are wanted for any crime, be it drunk-driving or murder, in a matter of seconds.

Robbie recently made an on-air appeal to listeners to pledge towards these ID Tool machines. The machines' retailer, Face Technology, also came on board, cutting the price of the machines down to cost, which enabled companies who had originally pledged enough money for one machine to purchase two. In the end, enough money was raised to purchase 65 machines.