OR Tambo heist: DA calls on crime intelligence heads to brief police portfolio committee

The DA will today write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Francois Beukman, to request that he summon the national head of crime intelligence as well as the Gauteng provincial head, to brief the committee on what intelligence, if any, they had before the heist that recently happened at OR Tambo, and what steps they are taking to make sure that an intelligence failure on this level does not occur again.
Reports suggest that up to ten heists, with the same modus operandi, have occurred at OR Tambo in the last year. Many of these heists have been carried out by individuals dressed in police uniforms. This is on top of the heist on Tuesday in which a reported R24 million was stolen, a bogus police vehicle was used and the criminals were dressed as police members. This clearly points to a failure in crime intelligence.
Crime intelligence must account for their inability to prevent these incidences and what they are doing to curb these.
In a press conference today, Acting National Police Commissioner, Kgomotso Phahlane, was asked about what role crime intelligence played in preventing the heist and whether this could be seen as a failure on their part.
Phahlane’s reply was to acknowledge that crime intelligence is important in preventing and solving crimes.
In light of the previous heist, this response is simply not good enough and it is now time that the Crime Intelligence division account for their inability to prevent airport heists which are apparently on the rise.
Crime intelligence needs to assist in getting the police information about crimes before they happen, in order that police can act on the information and prevent crime.
In the cases where crime intelligence don’t succeed in this, they are still important role players and should assist in gathering information on what happened, as fast as possible.
Crime intelligence is vital, and the failure of crime intelligence in this instance is deplorable.