City of Cape Town, SAPS join forces to ensure safer festive season

CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town says effective management of policing resources is critical to ensuring a safer festive for the public this summer.

The city bolstered its law enforcement ranks on Friday with an extra 870 officers.

The new cadets will form part of a joint festive season safety plan, which will see the  South African Police Service (SAPS) join hands with the city since the signing of a cooperation agreement in August.  

Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said the joint safety plan will not be effective if it's not managed properly.

READ: Cape Town deploys more boots on the ground for festive season

Smith said city law enforcement units will link with SAPS through a fusion centre to coordinate operations over the festive season.

"Without that coordination and without the technology platform, our epic platform that underpins it and makes sure we can track all these resources, that falls flat and so boots alone don't fix it. Effective management of those resources is critical."

Smith said technology will play a major role in policing the city over the festive season.