Minister of Police General Bheki Cele has welcomed the deployment of about 200 police officers seconded from National South African Police Service to the Western Cape Province, as force multipliers in violence-laden hotspots across Cape Town.
Minister Cele says the province remains stubborn in violent crime. He says the injection of the police, couldn’t have come at a better time.
“The Western Cape’s high murder rate is simply unacceptable. In the past week and during the long weekend, 100 people were killed either by stabbing or were shot dead in this province. It is important that we put the shoulder to the wheel to make sure that the people of this province especially those living in and around the city of Cape Town, know what peace looks like.”
The officers which include members of visible policing, crime intelligence, forensics and detective services will focus their skill sets in crime hot-spots such as Khayelitsa, Delft, Kraaifontein, Nyanga Harare, Philippi East policing precincts.
These areas are in the top 30 police stations with the most contact crimes such murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and sexual offences.
Addressing the parade, General Cele told the police members that they remain the most valuable resource to fighting crime and there is no time for complacency.
“Your presence in this province must yield results. We cannot afford anything less. The people of this province are sick and tired of crime and they are relying on you to consistently and effectively flush out criminals. At all cost you must also protect the women and children and most vulnerable and remember that drugs and alcohol abuse remain the major causes of violence in many of the communities that you are serving” – Cele concluded.
