Cameron: Devolution of police powers could be game-changer in addressing WC gang violence

Chairperson for Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police Ian Cameron said the devolution of police powers could be a game-changer in addressing gang violence in the Western Cape.

Cameron's comments come amid repeated calls by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to decentralise certain policing powers from national to local authorities.

The party believes forensic backlogs, particularly ballistic testing, has rendered investigations into gang-related crimes nearly useless, with the delays in critical evidence processing resulting in lower prosecutions.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis recently met with Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia on the matter.

The DA's Cameron said the lack of public trust, instability and inefficiencies in the South African Police Service (SAPS) have added to the urgency in resolving the calls for the devolution of powers.

"I think the mind shift from SAPS should be that this isn't competition – it’s the ultimate force multiplier."

Cape Town's MMC for Safety and Security, JP Smith, saidgetting the right people for the job will also go a long way in stronger crime-fighting efforts.

"So that's another important thing, command and control. We must upskill our command and control all the time, make sure we’ve got capable people in senior jobs, otherwise everything beneath them becomes problematic."