CoCT to deploy 5 metro police officers to every ward

CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town's safety and security directorate said it will deploy five metro police officers to every ward in Cape Town.

More than 700 new cops called "Neighbourhood Safety Officers" will be dedicated to the wards and are set to be deployed throughout Cape Town in the coming months.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced the initiative on Thursday as part of the city's municipal budget for the new financial year.

He said the budget, which includes a R40 billion three-year infrastructure investment, will finance the deployment of the new officers.

Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said the deployment of five new metro police officers to each ward in Cape Town is a response to a lack of policing in the metro.

Smith said the city has been working for the last four years to make the deployment possible.

"We are calling them neighbourhood safety officers to start bringing to every ward the support which LEAP [Law Enforcement Advancement Plan] has been offering the priority crime units."

Smith admits this is not enough.

"But until we get to take over SAPS [South African Police Service] and run it better than national government has been doing, we can only make the implementary improvements which local government can afford."

Smith said the officers will be the city's best-trained cops yet and are set to be deployed in September.