The officers, appointed as part of the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), joined their more established Law Enforcement and Metro Police colleagues in Hanover Park on Thursday, 13 February 2020, for a crime prevention operation as part of their training and development.
The integrated operation focused on everyday patrols, stop-and-search and By-Law enforcement – all essential functions of the City’s Law Enforcement Department.
The specialist in-field training to gain practical experience is an ongoing process for the first 500 LEAP officers who attended their passing out parade on Sunday, 9 February 2020.
‘These operations are an important real-time training component of the LEAP programme that will equip officers with skills to fight crime and get criminals off the streets and out of the community. The deployment of more officers in our most crime-ridden areas means greater visibility, which means fewer opportunities for criminals to exploit vulnerable citizens. It also means quicker responses to crimes or anti-social behaviour. We’ve seen the impact of visible, sustained enforcement through the Law Enforcement Neighbourhood Safety Team in Bonteheuwel, and there is no reason why the LEAP deployment can’t achieve similar impact,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
During the Hanover Park training operation, officers stopped 81 vehicles and issued fines to the value of R19 000. Officers also visited five illegal dumping hotspots in the area and executed 35 stop and searches.
The first batch of LEAP officers are set to be deployed to Delft, Site C in Khayelitsha and Philippi (including Hanover Park).
The operational concept will include a visible enforcement presence, relationship-building with residents, businesses and key community structures, information-gathering on crime patterns and key areas of concern, as well as working with other enforcement agencies.
‘The more familiar an officer is with the environment in which he or she works, the more effective their response to issues that arise. Building trust and relationships with the residents in the areas of deployment is crucial. We have seen an uptick in the number of public tip offs in areas where enforcement staff are visible and approachable. More so when the community sees action in response to their complaints or tip-offs. So, while skills and technical know-how are important, it is equally important to develop and enhance the officers’ interpersonal skills to help build those relationships,’ added Alderman Smith.