The City’s Safety and Security Directorate has started with the training of Learner Law Enforcement Officers(LLEO) as part of the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan which will ultimately see the deployment of 500 officers into the ranks of the City’s enforcement agencies. This initiative is a joint venture by the Western Cape Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town.
The City’s Metropolitan Police Department Training Academy put the new LLEO’s through their paces at a training session in Ndabeni earlier today, 20 January 2020. The Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato and Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith inspected the Learner Law Enforcement Officers in training. The training focuses on Stop-and-Searches, which is an important aspect of crime prevention. The Tactical Stop and Approach training includes procedures to correctly and safely deal with potentially dangerous suspect vehicles in the field.
The City has instituted the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) to recruit, train and deploy a significant number of LLEOs which will add capacity to the enforcement agencies in dealing with criminal activities and to stabilise the crime hot‐spots in the metropole. Today’s training is part of a phased-in programme and induction process which will see 500 officers joining the ranks of the City’s Law Enforcement Services within the next few months.
‘We are confident that this programme will have a meaningful impact in helping to keep communities safe. Safety is the primary responsibility of the South African Police Service (SAPS). However, as a caring government, we have to play our part in filling the gaps left by inadequate police resources in the city and province. These officers will be deployed in areas where assistance is most needed and will assist SAPS and the additional Law Enforcement Officers the city has already made provision for in previous budget cycles,’ said the Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato.
It has been such an honour to witness our officers in training today. The professionalism they have displayed should make us all proud. These residents have chosen a career that is dedicated to making the lives of others safer, and our communities more peaceful. It won’t be long before they are ready to be deployed in community, in keeping with our promise to deliver greater law enforcement capacity to our communities. We have seen the impact that more officers have made in Bonteheuwel, and through this roll-out, our aim is to positively impact the lives of residents in many other communities,’ said the Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.
According to the Western Cape Minister for Community Safety, Minister Albert Fritz, the Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town are making great strides in the implementation of the Western Cape Safety Plan. ‘We are currently training our additional law enforcement to be deployed, through a data-led approach, where and when they are needed most, halving the murder rate over the next ten years. At the same time, we are simultaneously working hard to implement numerous interventions which will address the socio-economic root causes of crime and reduce violence within our communities. We will achieve this through effective and transversal partnerships between all departments and spheres of government,’ said MEC Fritz.
The roll-out of LEAP will be subject to the training and appointment of the new LLEOs with the operational implementation guided by crime pattern analysis within the applicable areas. Trained by the Metropolitan Police Department, the deployment of LLEO’s will be managed by the City’s Law Enforcement Department.
‘The training of Law Enforcement Officers is paramount in preparing them for real-life situations where they will have to deal with violent crime, addressing anti-social behaviour, enforcing City By-laws and conduct crime prevention programmes in communities. We cannot allow ruthless criminals to rule the streets and incite fear in our communities. Law-abiding citizens have the right to be protected and the freedom of movement in their communities. Children should have the right to go to school and not fear gangsters who have no respect for community members. The City will work closely with all enforcement agencies to ensure effective crime prevention and creating a safe environment for all,’ said Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.