No cuts in police numbers in Cape
Cops face tough challenges with a shortage of vehicles
THERE will be no cuts to the number of police officers in the Western Cape, despite former police minister Fikile Mbalula saying in last year’s budget that police personnel numbers would drop by 3 000 members next year.
Police numbers in the province would not drop, according to a response to a parliamentary question by DA Western Cape spokesperson on community safety Mireille Wenger.
However, there is still a shortage of resources and at least one police union said there were not enough police officers, gear and equipment and vehicles to go around.
“Given the dire resource shortages experienced in the Western Cape, I was concerned about the severe impact this would have on policing in the province,” she said.
“It is a relief to receive confirmation from the SAPS that none of the proposed police cuts will be taken from our province.
“That being said, the resource challenges remain. As of 2017, we approximately had 900 less police personnel in our province than we did in 2013, which means that the actual number of police personnel serving our communities is shrinking.”
Wenger is also the chairperson of the standing committee on community safety in the provincial legislature.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) also welcomed the decision not to cut the number of police officers in the province. “We appreciate it because there was a growing fear about the reduction,” Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabola said.
Mamabola said that police resources has become a growing concern to its members.
“Inadequate resources is what our biggest challenge is because in certain areas police can’t go in either because they don’t have the right gear or their are not enough vehicles.”
The lack of police resources in the Western Cape were again highlighted by Khayelitsha residents last week when Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the community. The residents urged Cele to make more personnel available to crime-ridden areas and to increase visible policing.
“We do need more police deployment in certain areas in the Western Cape, but we need all levels of government to work together and co-operate,” Mamabola said.
Wenger added: “I will therefore be writing to Minister of SAPS Bheki Cele to enquire as to what further interventions the SAPS will be carrying out in order to address the increasing crime in the Western Cape and how it intends to improve police visibility where it is most needed.”