Armed skollies who entered the Delft Technical High School to take out a rival gang member with a panga were stopped in their tracks by two school resource officers.
This was revealed during a patrol with Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, the Law Enforcement Neighbourhood Safety Team (NST) and Traffic Services on Friday.
The two officers said a rival gangster had been walking his girlfriend to school when the attempted attack took place, reports the Weekend Argus.
The panga was confiscated, but both suspects managed to flee.
Officer Nonqaba Zondi says: “The one suspect, who was in his late 20s, said he had just finished serving 15 years in jail. The other suspect is in his early 20s.”
Principal Noel Cleophas said the frequency of incidents like these had actually decreased.
“Ever since last year when the officers started here, gang members don’t jump over the fence to rob students or force them to buy drugs through the fence. We are winning the battle... a little,” Cleophas says.
Smith said last month, 1834 people and 93 premises were searched.
In total 40 arrests were made and 459 mandrax tablets confiscated.
The NST was officially deployed in Delft 11 months ago as a pilot project.
Since then, according to Ward 106 PR Councillor Roxanne Moses, there had been a dramatic turnaround in terms of response time and visibility, especially in Blikkiesdorp.
“I can say that schools in Delft are now safer. In Blikkiesdorp, the officers patrol for about two hours a day and have the co-operation of the community,” she says.
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