Neighbourhood Safety Team begins deployment in Delft

THE City’s newly created Neighbourhood Safety Team (NST) hit the streets of Delft for the first time yesterday in a move that is calculated to bolster the safety of residents during this festive season and beyond.

Prior to yesterday’s launch the City had identified 10 policing precincts with the highest crime rates in the Metro in which to roll out this initiative.

Delft was the first of those 10 precincts where the initiative would be deployed before it was expanded, said safety and security mayoral committee member JP Smith.

It was envisioned that between 90 and 120 personnel per team would be deployed in each precinct over the next three years. Specialised units from the Metro Police, Traffic and Law Enforcement departments would support them, he added.

The City had explored various interventions to address crime in the most vulnerable communities, with those interventions including the already established stabilisation unit, school resource officers, neighbourhood safety officers, gang and drug task team and a violence interruption intervention.

“The fight against crime doesn’t rest with enforcement alone. We have pulled in other crucial services to be part of this initiative, and it will be interesting to see the impact that this has on crime levels,” Smith said.