Gangsterism to be tackled

For a little over a month, Brig Mark Hartzenberg has played an oversight role as the acting deputy commissioner of the Mitchells Plain District.

Foremerly the Mitchells Plain Policing Cluster, the district includes Mitchells Plain, Lentegeur, Strandfontein, Athlone, Lansdowne, Philippi, Steenberg and Grassy Park police stations, it is one of six brigadier-lead districts reporting to Maj Gen Vincent Beaton, City of Cape Town District Commissioner.

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Hartzenberg, who recently won Station Commander of the year (brigadier-level station) and senior manager of the year at the City of Cape Town District Police Awards, was the acting station commander for Mitchells Plain Police Station. While his win came as a surprise, Hartzenberg says he is grateful to be acknowledged and recognised for the efforts.

Starting his police career in 1986 in the Northern Cape, he admits it was never the career he wanted for himself, but now 38 years later, his career has seen much success.

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Rising through the ranks quickly, in the Northern and Eastern Cape provinces, it was an application for a promotion to brigadier that drew him to Cape Town in 2020.

But through it all, he recalls it almost ending as quickly as it all began. An only child, being taken from the comforts of his home in Kimberley to be stationed in a small town, a station commander and a school principal were just the mentors he needed to get him to where he is today.

Something he now hopes to be to other young officers entering the fold.

His appointment at Mitchells Plain came at a tumultuous time, under a cloud of negativity following the disappearance of several firearms and exhibits from the station in November.

“When I started at Mitchells Plain, out of 1 153 police stations in the country, we were at 969. By the time I left Mitchells Plain we were 639. It took some effort,” he says.

“I had to bring the team and the members together. I needed them to start trusting me and needed that mental attitude to change, to say we are still here, we have a job to do.”

Maj. Gen Vincent Beaton, City of Cape Town District Commissioner with Brig Mark Hartzenberg at the awards.PHOTO: Supplied

With his first call of action to rebuild both the relations in the station and with the community, his approach also saw the overall improvement of major crime statistics in the precinct, including the top overall arrests as a result of police action in the country.

For Hartzenberg being a leader and displaying good leadership is by example. As an ordained pastor, this also brings balance to what can often be a difficult job.

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Now with his position in the district, he has set his sights on combatting gangsterism and trio crimes, among others

“You can call this a gang district. Our focus and my focus will generally be in addressing gangsterism in an integrated fashion. First of all with the stations, with the other law enforcement departments, sister departments, with the community policing forum (CPF) and especially now on my level with the district CPF board, the neighborhood watches and the community in blue, as well as our spiritual crime prevention committee,” he says.

Having three of the top 12 provincial priority stations in his district means there is work to be done.

“These areas will not only get special attention but also interventions. I’ve also established a crime combating unit at the district level and I will deploy this unit in the hotspot stations according to the crime pattern that will assist the station commanders in addressing problematic hotspots in the area,” he says.

Targeted hotspot areas at identified stations, focusing on the top three problems and crimes with integrated operations will be key in reducing crime.

His key strategy will address gangsterism specifically focusing on the five pillars of the Western Cape gang strategy.