Dear Dditor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is proud to welcome over 700 extra Metro Police officers to the front lines of crime prevention in DA-run Cape Town.
This major deployment, part of the City’s bold Project 1000, is a way for a capable and committed local government to step-in where the South African Police Service (SAPS) is failing.
While SAPS remains overstretched and under-resourced, with management issues, leadership issues and political meddling, the City of Cape Town under the DA is plugging the gap by putting more boots on the ground. Safety of residents where we govern is of paramount importance to us.
The new Metro Police deployment for Cape Town will mean that five new officers will be on ground for every ward in Cape Town, to not only patrol their neighbourhoods but also to build trust with residents, and respond fast when trouble arises. This marks a new era of visible, localised policing that SAPS has been unable to deliver.
The DA warmly welcomes that among these 700-plus officers will be a dedicated team deployed to patrolling the N2 highway to enhance safety along this critical route.
These Metro Police officers will play a crucial support role in gang-affected areas. The DA refuses to accept that gang violence cannot be beaten with effective policing.
While Metro Police officers may not have the investigative powers of SAPS, they have been trained on evidence- based policing, and have tactical training too. We welcome that they will all have completed firearm competency training too. The City of Cape Town’s cutting-edge fire arm simulator training is a fantastic DA-government intervention, to make sure officers in the City are trained to the highest standards.
The City of Cape Town is not waiting for national government to fix policing. Under DA-governance the City of Cape Town is taking action against crime!
Regards
Lisa Schickerling MP
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Police