The numbers game: Jeremy Vearey warns gang culture is rooted deeper than policing

Retired top cop and gang expert Jeremy Vearey warns that gangs will continue to flourish in the Western Cape unless the deeply entrenched culture of the "Numbers Gang" is addressed.

Vearey joined a panel of experts today at a seminar hosted by the University of the Western Cape (UWC), aimed at confronting gangsterism and social dysfunction within the province.

The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including civil society leaders, clerics, government officials, police, academics, and members of affected communities.

According to Vearey, the Numbers Gang subculture has existed for over 200 years. He argues that this longevity is exactly why traditional policing methods alone are insufficient to dismantle it.

ALSO READ: Gang violence uptick: Mitchells Plain residents call for increased police presence

This subculture provides the structural foundation that keeps street gangs operational across the Western Cape and the rest of South Africa.

"It makes our gangs as organised as they are today," Vearey noted. "It gives them the kind of almost spiritual fervour with which they conduct things."

The former head of detectives in the Western Cape emphasised that this subculture creates a reality where prison is no longer viewed as a deterrent, but rather a rite of passage or a career milestone.

Vearey highlighted a chilling trend among the youth that points toward a systemic collapse of traditional social pillars:

"When you have a boy of 15 telling you he wants to grow up to become a 28s general, then you realise education has failed, churches have failed, and every form of moral education has failed."

Vearey concluded by stating that the subculture creates a sophisticated, binding network of criminality that transcends prison walls.

This interconnected web links activities inside correctional facilities directly to the streets, making it a national security challenge that requires more than just a law enforcement response.