Speeding motorists have met their match in the City's high-speed police unit. The tenacious and dedicated officers never back down.

JMPD's acting superintendent of the speed section, Dennis Busch won the Most Innovative award at the first Road Traffic Management Corporation prize-giving

YOU don't usually equate a 1400 Bantam bakkie with a high-speed police unit. But for an intrepid cop from the Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD), making do with outdated technology to catch common crooks was simply no challenge.

JMPD's acting superintendent of the speed section, Dennis Busch, started a high-speed unit in 2006 with just five traffic police officers and a small fleet of Bantams. Since then, more than a thousand motorists have been arrested and charged on the spot for breaking the law in the city.

The need for such a unit became apparent after Busch noticed that a large number of people who broke the speed limit were not brought to book after being caught. Too often, the vehicle registration number and the owner did not match, Busch explains.

A large number of offenders also had no car registration. And the prosecuting process allowed many perpetrators to fall through the huge law enforcement cracks. "We looked at our system and thought, something is wrong; we are missing something."

Two years later, Busch walked off with the Most Innovative award at the first Road Traffic Management Corporation prize-giving, held on 21 May in Bloemfontein.

Thanks to his innovative design, speeding motorists are now arrested and charged at the point of the offence. And often the "catch of the day" throws up some exciting surprises. In the two years since it began, the unit has recovered a number of stolen vehicles, arrested wanted criminals and even the odd murderer. But the most common catch remains the regular man in the street and youngsters.

There are now three high-speed units in the city, operating from Johannesburg central, Midrand-Sandton and Roodepoort. Officers are hand-picked, and, according to Busch, his 270-strong team are "special characters".

"These are guys, who after a 10-hour shift, do not want to go home."

Fox and hound
The actual sting operations are simple but effective. The units are deployed everyday at speeding hotspots. Columbine Road in the south of Johannesburg is just one such hotspot, says Busch.

The trapping equipment and a vehicle are placed at a strategic spot at the side of the road. If a speeding motorist drives past, the details of the vehicle are immediately radioed to the control centre. The vehicle description and details are also radioed to a second group of police vehicles placed further down the road. This group pulls out in front of the speeding vehicle, signalling it to slow down.

Not all offenders are willing to give up without a fight, though. Some literally step on the gas to evade arrest. In this instance, a third group of police vehicles, placed a further distance away, are alerted. They drive into the road in front of the offending vehicle. The fox-hunt is on, and like a well-trained pack of hunting dogs, the police vehicles give chase, sirens blaring and blue lights flashing.

"High visibility is very important."

By now, the rest of the traffic has usually slowed down. The safety of the public remains paramount throughout the operation.

While the Bantams were still being used, some offenders were able to escape, admits Busch, slightly chagrined. But since the unit has upgraded its fleet, the tally of successes remains constant.

Bikers are another story, he says. The ones with the strong, powerful machines sometimes try to escape as they can easily slip through the cars. But even they have to succumb to the skill of this high-profile unit.

"We literally chase them down," explains Busch. Today the unit drives top of the range Audis and Renaults, a far cry from the cocky, but slow Bantams. And the officers are highly skilled in high-speed and advanced driving techniques, and receive regular refresher training at Kyalami from both suppliers.

Jammin the cameras
However, the units do not only catch speeding motorists. "We also look for ‘jammers.'" Jammers are devices that distort the trapping camera's signal by bouncing it back. Jamming instruments interfere with the normal law enforcement procedure.

Unlike the legal devices used by some motorists to warn them of the proximity of cameras, this device is illegal. Using such a gadget is considered an obstruction of justice, says Busch.

Often, once the noose has tightened, the money comes out. Busch himself has had to decline a suitcase with R15 000 in it - and that's why officers have to be hand-picked. Only the best make it into this team. "Temptations are big."

Officers work 16 to 18 hours a day. They have to give every inch of their energy. Busch admits to being a workaholic himself. "They are a very proud, passionate bunch of people."

But at the end of the day, nothing beats the thrill of catching the crook.

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