Over the last few months and years Cape Town has faced many challenging situations, from farm murders, car crime and theft, gender-based violence and rape. This has placed our city in a very bad light and we are also in the top ten around the world as a crime-based city.
But, thanks to the Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, three parades for a total of 64 peace and traffic officers were deployed into Worcester, Robertson and Ceres on March 4 and 5 with the aim of a safer community.
As of March 8, the 64 officers are on a one-year EPWP placement and will be working closely with the local municipality, capacitating local law enforcement and SAPS. The officers are tied to the Safety Plan of the Western Cape.
Minister Fritz said, “Our graduates will not work in silos. The training and deployment of our peace and traffic officers will increase the capacity of trainee law enforcement staff in vulnerable and rural local municipalities. They will be deployed under the supervision of the head of law enforcement in the municipality and contribute to the reduction of crime locally. What’s more, the municipality’s law enforcement works closely with SAPS in the rural communities they are deployed to.”
In order for officers to be accepted onto the peace and traffic officer training programme, a matric certificate was needed, no criminal record and a driver’s or learner’s license. Participants also had to be between the ages of 18 and 35.
In total, thirteen rural Municipalities are being supported by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Peace officer training with two-hundred and eighty-eight finally completing a three-year course. Further training will continue in three municipalities for sixty trainees.
By the end of March, 348 peace officers will have received training and by April 1, 2021, four-hundred and sixty-six people will be available to be nominated as peace officers or safety ambassadors from the twenty-four rural local municipalities.
Picture: Cape Town ETC gallery