GAUTENG police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela said one death is too many.
Mawela and other law enforcement officials led Operation Shanela in Soshanguve and Rietgat in Tshwane on Saturday, 6 January.
He said the detectives around the province managed to arrest 874 known and wanted suspects from Friday, 5 January, until the early hours of Saturday.
Mawela said half of those numbers were people arrested for contact-related crimes.
He said 13 people were arrested for drinking in public, especially ekasi.
"We're appealing to citizens that in terms of the laws of the land, you are not allowed to drink in public. You either drink at home or at a liquor outlet which is having a licence."
Mawela said drinking in public and on the streets is not allowed.
"That's where we get people who are being killed by vehicles."
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He said they decided to come to Soshanguve and Rietgat because there's a problem with the online market where people advertise certain goods through the Facebook market.
"When you come and buy those goods, you become robbed. This has been happening in Winterveldt, Mabopane, Ga-Rankuwa, and parts of Hammanskraal," he said.
Mawela also said he came to address the issue of Jukulyn and has put up a team of TRT, Public Order Police, detectives, and crime intelligence.
He said that since the team was established, more than 49 illegal firearms have been recovered, and over 22 vehicles have been recovered, which were used in the commissioning of crime, especially by online criminals.
Mawela also said 22 illegal shebeens were closed where online criminals sat to plan their next moves.
"The policing area of Rietgat, which is also responsible for policing the Jukulyn area, has only registered 14 murders for the past three months meaning from October until December.”
“We're not saying it's okay for people to be killed. One murder is too many. We don't want people to be killed. It shows reduction compared to what it was before," he said.
Mawela said that what is still a concern is robbery aggravation and truck hijacking.
"I'm happy with the number of firearms that were recovered in the area. Police will continue reducing the level of crime in the area," said Mawela.
He said that he has heard the cry of the community of Soshanguve and Rietgat, and the police are doing something.
TMPD chief of police commissioner Yolanda Faro said they are serious about cable theft, which costs the municipality millions of rands.
"We want communities to assist us with information and tip-offs. Pretoria North is a big headache for us in terms of cable theft."
She said by-laws are important, and they're working with SAPS when it comes to illegal shebeens.
"We will cut illegal connections of electricity and water," she said.
Ward 34 councillor Sisi Sithole said: "We need more visibility of police in our area. We have a problem of house breakings and shebeens."
