Gauteng commissioner optimistic about war against crime

Speaking on Talk Radio 702 on Wednesday, Petros said there was definitely hope.

"We indicated that if we deal with crime in Gauteng, which contributes to 50% of crime in the country, we would have gone a long way in dealing with crime in the country. There is hope - if you see the numbers in Gauteng, if you listen to the people... If there is hope in Gauteng, there must be hope in South Africa," he added.

Petros noted that like with any war, there were many battles and each time police won a battle, they were a step closer to winning the war.

Acknowledging the growing problem of drugs, Petros said police were also committed to dealing with the issue of drugs.

He noted that criminals used Gauteng as the distribution point for drugs and it was the province from which drugs were sent to the rest of the country.

The provincial commissioner sounded a warning to criminals, reminding them that police would continue to "make the space even smaller for the crooks that are here".

"They [criminals] thought they will be running to Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West. We have come together as the four provincial commissioners so that the space is going to be even smaller wherever they are going to be going," he added.

Those within police ranks, who found themselves on the wrong side of the law, would not be spared either.

Corruption among law enforcement officials was disturbing and police were committed to rooting it out, Petros said.

"From 1 September 2010 to the end of July [2012], we arrested 746 of our own in Gauteng only. Last year, 171 police officials have been dismissed from the service. From 1 January to the end of July this year, 120 have been dismissed," Petros said.

Police had no qualms about arresting their own, he added.

"We are so happy we are doing it ourselves, because those many thousands of police officials that are law abiding, that want to see an improvement, are sick and tired. They want to be seen to be dealing with these things themselves," Petros said.