WILL THIS private/public sector collaboration in an anti-theft unit, fighting container crime, go national? Well, it already has, in that the concept was placed before police commissioner George Fivaz for his approval before it was officially put into operation.
He even went to the length of approving the proposal for a 12-man surveillance team to accompany the normal police and private detective units in their battle against the criminal syndicates - groups of villains who are robbing containers of millions of rands worth of goods each week.
This surveillance team will not carry case dockets. Rather, they will be the eyes behind the anti- crime project - watching for the faces of known rogues moving into their area; keeping the police unit informed; and, therefore, helping to cut down on container crime and the threats being made against people in the distribution industry who might be prepared to spill the beans.
This combined force is an idea born from the needs of this freight industry sector in the Kazerne area of Johannesburg - a main container distribution point in Gauteng.
But the needs are the same around the country - as a criminal wave is beginning to break heavily on international trade in general. And, if the needs are the same, possibly so is the solution.
