As part of the Mayoral Urban Regeneration Programme (MURP) that aims to improve safety and quality of life in strategic geographic areas, Auxiliary Law Enforcement Officers have been deployed to a number of areas.
Auxiliary Law Enforcement Officers (ALEOs) have been deployed in the Bellville, Kraaifontein, Brackenfell, Mitchells Plain, Ocean View, Philippi, Durbanville, Fisantekraal, Atlantis, Athlone, Vygieskraal, Kewtown, Lansdowne and Flamingo Heights areas.
The areas mentioned above are currently experiencing serious degeneration and violations of the City’s policies and by-laws. These areas face many challenges related to vagrancy, illegal trading, drug dealing and traffic violations by taxis and motorists.
The primary role of the ALEOs is to patrol and observe, and report incidents of anti-social behaviour to the City’s Metro Police Department. These officers will be deployed until 30 June 2022.
Their duties will include accompanying law enforcement officers on patrol to deal with crime.
‘I want to encourage our Auxiliary Law Enforcement Officers to remain focused on the job at hand so that they are able to assist in tackling crime in these areas and bringing back law and order. Visible policing is a strategy that prevents violations and reduces the fear of crime within our communities,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
The MURP has evolved since its inception six years ago and a number of key lessons have emerged which will become a guide for the ‘new thinking’ or methodology that is to be implemented going forward.
‘The impact of the deployment is evident as on 23 December 2019, Auxiliary Law Enforcement Officers deployed in the Bellville area busted a female drug dealer, in broad daylight, at 13:45 at the taxi rank while conducting their patrols. The MURP will continue to bring meaning back to the City’s Integrated Development Plan and allow for closer alignment with our communities. I must congratulate the officers for already making a difference and hope to see many more such successes,’ said Alderman Twigg.
The City has allocated R10 million towards this project across Subcouncils 1, 2, 6, 7, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19 and 23. This budget is part of the Urban Management Directorate’s allocations per subcouncil for the 2019/2020 financial year to advance the MURP objectives.