In response to mounting tensions following the fatal shooting of Ian Arthurs on New Year’s Eve, specialized mediation teams have been mobilized in the Caesar Ridge and Kraal Road districts. The Leadership Intervention Unit, a specialized conflict resolution team, has been deployed alongside heightened police patrols to prevent retaliatory violence.
Acting Director Andrew Dawson confirmed his team is actively engaging with community members and key influencers in areas where emotions are running high. Unlike traditional law enforcement approaches, the unit employs mediation tactics and dialogue-based interventions to de-escalate potentially volatile situations before they turn violent.
“We interview respective persons within these communities to create conversations that de-escalate situations as they arise,” Dawson explained. The unit operates through a method termed ‘conflict racing’ – proactively identifying heightened tensions through community intelligence and intervening through structured dialogue.
Dawson acknowledged the challenges of their work, noting that mediation efforts are often misunderstood as negotiating with criminals. However, he emphasized that addressing underlying social issues represents a critical long-term strategy for violence prevention. The unit collaborates with community members and partner organizations to address the root causes of violence while working to restore calm to affected neighborhoods.
Police authorities remain on high alert, implementing suppression tactics while the mediation team works to prevent further escalation through non-confrontational methods.