The rapid increase of gang violence and the number of innocent people getting killed has been a thorn in the backside of our local government. However, come July 1, the Western Cape government will be deploying 250 additional law enforcement officers in crime afflicted communities. The aim of this deployment is to ensure that the government meets their target of deploying 1000 officers in areas such as Gugulethu, Kraaifontein, Mfuleni, and Harare by October 2021.
In 2019, the government launched the Western Cape Safety Plan to halve the murder rate over the next 10 years. However, nearly one and a half years later and steady progress has been made with the implementation of the Safety Plan through the deployment of the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers. In February 2020, a passing out parade was held signalling the deployment of the first 500 law enforcement officers into the most crime-infested areas. In March of this year, trained LEAP officers were deployed in and around Mitchells Plain.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde along with the MEC for community safety, Albert Fritz and mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith engaged with Mitchells Plain residents on Wednesday, May 26, during a walkabout. They were joined by the newly appointed LEAP officers who will be operating in areas such as Tafelsig and Beacon Valley.
1/3 Yesterday, I visited the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan or LEAP law enforcement officers who were deployed through the Western Cape Safety Plan to Mitchells Plain in March 2021.
Read more here➡️ https://t.co/TBVDPRTFT2 pic.twitter.com/TAgcGEfzib
— Premier Alan Winde (@alanwinde) May 27, 2021
3/3 When engaging with residents during the walkabout with LEAP officers in Mitchells Plain, I was informed that our LEAP officers are making residents in Mitchells Plain feel safer ➡️ https://t.co/XDDZgc4QzW
— Premier Alan Winde (@alanwinde) May 27, 2021
The Premier indicated to Cape {town} Etc that the walkabout was to walk the streets with the officers, to offer them the necessary support and also to understand the pain that communities are feeling. “40 people have been murdered in this region in the last week, it just cannot be. We need to put more resources, ” Winde said. Winde indicated that while national budgets are being cut, communities are held hostage by crime and gangsters.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed leader for the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the province, Albert Fritz said: ” We are really excited about the realization of the LEAP Project and boots on the ground, and this is especially important in light of the shootings that Mitchells Plain and our other communities have faced over the past weekend.” Fritz added that the government is on track to have 1000 LEAP Officers on the ground by October. ” This is above and beyond the mandate provincial government, so we must really commend the Premier for his leadership on this,” Fritz added.
He also expressed his sincere condolences to the family of 15-year-old Riedewaan Boltman, who was shot six times in Beacon Valley on Sunday, May 23. “It is very sad of that shooting of the young boy, we are investigating it, no young boy at 16 should be killed or die by gang violence,” Fritz mentioned.
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Picture: Twitter/ Alan Winde