This follows the successful implementation of Operation Shanela II. It was held on Saturday (30/8) at Hoffman Square, a vital hub that connects various parts of the Mangaung Metro.

The initiative, led by the Parkweg Social Crime Prevention Unit, adopted a soft approach by involving various stakeholders, including private security companies, individuals in the tourism sector, and retail managers. 

The operation is designed to create a holistic policing model that encourages active community participation and shared responsibility for safety.

Operation Shanela II team in Hoffman Square, Bloemfontein. Photo: SAPS 

Hoffman Square, often used by commuters and shoppers visiting the Bloemfontein CBD, served as the focal point for the awareness campaign. A formal parade was held, during which Lt Col. Olebogeng Mphirime addressed the roleplayers and stakeholders. 

The operation’s main goal was to engage with the public and educate them about how to reduce both predisposing factors (opportunities) and precipitating factors (triggers or motivations) that lead to criminal activities, said Free State police spokesperson, Lt Col. Thabo Covane.

 Operation Shanela II team conducted search in Bloemfontein CBD. Photo: SAPS 

Following the briefing, teams conducted foot patrols in Central Park, using the opportunity to interact with community members and raise awareness about personal and property safety. 

Covane said the operation was not limited to education alone; it also addressed crime hotspots, including a clean-up operation at the Old Post Office building, which had reportedly become a hideout for criminal elements. As a result, six vagrants were removed from the premises.

Dagga was seized during a search operation in Bloemfontein CBD. Photo: SAPS

Further patrols and search operations were conducted in Middestad and Sanlam Plaza, where officers recovered cellphones suspected to be stolen and 16 large zip-lock bags containing dried leaves of Swati dagga, which had been abandoned at stalls along Floreat Avenue.

Covane said Operation Shanela II is not a once-off event but an ongoing initiative. The Free State police plan to continue rolling out similar operations across the province, reinforcing the message that effective policing is most successful when communities are both informed and involved.

 OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg