CoCT's JP Smith says 700 new 'neighbourhood police officers' trained to have multitude of skills

CAPE TOWN - City of Cape Town (CoCT) Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said the 700 new "neighbourhood police officers" were being trained to have a multitude of skills.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis recently joined Smith at the city’s Observatory College, where the officers were in their final stages of training.

READ: CoCT's 'neighbourhood policing' initiative to see metro police officers deployed in every ward

Smith explained some of the training the officers had to endure.

"The candidates completed an 18-month-long training programme which included traffic officer training, metro police officer training, which included firearm competency, as well as specialised training which included our neighbourhood safety officer training, evidence-based policing, additional tactical training."

Smith said the officers were also taught how to use the city's electronic devices.

"Officers were also put through their paces using the city's cutting-edge firearms training simulator. Officers will be assigned EPIC hand-held devices for digital coordination and reporting of offences as part of our computer-aided dispatching system."

Smith said that five officers per ward would be deployed across Cape Town in spring.