Cape Town launches biggest festive safety operation yet, with record visitor numbers expected
The festive tourism safety operation includes a special deployment of personnel to Table Mountain National Park and the CBD.
The City of Cape launches its largest-ever festive tourism safety operation. Image: CoCT website
John Maytham gets more detail from JP Smith, City Mayco Member for Safety and Security.
The City of Cape Town expects record-breaking visitor numbers this summer.
In line with this, we'll see its largest-ever festive season tourism safety operation yet.
Outlining plans for the operation at its launch, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said over 4 000 uniformed enforcement and emergency personnel would be available, working in shifts.
Safety technology will also be a key feature of their festive season operations; including drones, dashcams, automatic number plate recognition, and CCTV.
John Perlman talks to JP Smith, City Mayco Member for Safety and Security.
The influx of visitors is already reflected in how busy our roads have gotten in the last week, says Smith, as well as significant change in the use of community facilities like playparks and swimming pools.
"You will also see increased activity at the beaches and tidal pools along our 307 km coastline, and on our mountain."
JP Smith, Mayco Member for Safety & Security - CoCT
Increased activity during the summer means that the City has to bring in its overtime budget during the festive season, Smith says.
This allows the deployment of personnel in larger numbers for longer hours, with staff working more days and more hours every day.
A big help also is bringing in cadets who've already completed a year of training during this peak season.
"The training of the 890 cadets we currently have in the college switches gear and they go for in-field training for the next two months, at least till the end of January, so you have a large additional number of boots on the ground to help you with all of these areas like shopping malls, recreation facilities, on the beaches, on the mountain..."
JP Smith, Mayco Member for Safety & Security - CoCT
The addition of the cadets also means a stronger presence can be maintained in the regular hotspots within communities across the City, Smith says.
"If you visit our recreational facilities, the shift changes started at the beginning of this week, adapting to 4 am until 8 pm."
"And then from the first of December the 890 cadets will be deployed to the festive season priority areas across the City, so people will see more boots on the ground there as well."
JP Smith, Mayco Member for Safety & Security - CoCT
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