Despite having one officer for every 9 000 residents, Cape Town’s metro police have exceeded their arrest targets, the city said.
|||There is one metro police officer for every 9 000 residents in Cape Town. Despite this ratio, the city’s Safety and Security Department said metro police exceeded their arrest targets in Cape Town’s biggest problem areas in the past financial year.
A report outlining the annual metro police plan for the year was placed before the safety and security committee on Thursday.
Hanover Park, Steenberg and Lavender Hill, identified as some of the areas with the biggest gang and drug problem, have been part of a pilot project of the metro police’s gang unit. The unit has arrested 107 suspects since the launch of the project in December.
In the next financial year, officers will continue their clampdown on drugs and drunk drivers.
Richard Bosman, the city’s executive director for safety and security, said the city had received a certificate of compliance from the office of the provincial police commissioner for the plan.
Bosman explained this meant the plan was aligned to SAPS strategies.
According to the report, there are “400 officers on ground level”.
These officers have their work cut out for them, with research finding that many residents feel unsafe in the city – mostly in poorer areas.
The report shows that officers made 1 383 drug-related arrests in the 2010/11 financial year (this was against a target of 1002) and 2 298 arrests for drinking and driving. Although not its core focus, metro police issued 154 323 traffic fines over the same period.
The report, which draws on research and crime statistics from the province, states that while the latest police statistics show a “steady decline” in most crime, drug-related offences and gangsterism “remain causes of grave concern”, especially in areas on the Cape Flats.
“Research suggests people still feel unsafe in Cape Town and think crime is out of hand. This affects their quality of life and is especially true in the townships and impoverished communities, because upper income groups can afford private security to keep safe,” the report said.
Metro police chief Wayne le Roux said this was based on information from residents at community police forums and operations with SAPS and city law enforcement.
“These are what residents say their complaints and concerns are. In response, we have visible patrols. The gang unit was piloted in Hanover Park and Steenberg and we have seen successes.”
Le Roux said more residents were also calling metro police depots with information, which is vital in crime-fighting efforts.
“You can have limited resources, but it’s the way you plan for that area that contributes to the success.”
The metro police report outlines the focus for the next year. The clamp-down on drunk drivers will continue, with an increase in roadblocks. On traffic issues, joint operations with city traffic services will focus on high-accident locations.
bronwynne.jooste@inl.co.za
Cape Argus
