Municipality’s response and K9 units tackle multiple tasks
The response unit of the Mossel Bay Municipality, along with the K9 unit, make a notable contribution to community safety, as well as crime prevention.
The units, which consist of 16 and four members respectively, work independently in municipal by-law enforcement, but also in conjunction with the police.
The response unit’s training commenced last year in June 2022, when Mossel Bay became the trendsetter in the Western Cape regarding first responder training, in collaboration with the police. The training included basic crowd management.
The response unit currently operates within the municipal legal framework. Herein, the scope of its work includes the patrolling of areas such as the central business district as part of the management of street-based communities; the monitoring and prevention of illegal land occupation, as well as the removal of illegal structures before occupation; and monitoring public nuisances, including unlawful street vendors.
Protect infrastructure
The unit is also tasked to protect municipal infrastructure, which includes preventing illegal electricity connections and assisting the municipal Directorate of Infrastructure during the removal of such connections. Recently, the unit assisted in the arrest of suspects who were apprehended whilst in the process of copper cable theft. The suspects were handed over to the SAPS. It is to be noted, that during the removal of illegal electrical connections, the SAPS is required to be present for public safety.
It is important to note that the response unit may act in any public space which falls within the legal framework pertaining to municipal by-law enforcement. Any other actions pertaining to the committing of a crime, falls with the SAPS’s mandate. The response unit may not act on private property where for instance a crime has been committed. If they witness possible criminal activity whilst on patrol in a public space, they may perform certain limited duties and assist in crime prevention.
"The response unit does not have the same duty, function and legal mandate as the police, but works with them as a force multiplier to ensure greater community safety,” says Marko Claassen, newly appointed manager of the unit.
Crowd control
Claassen also emphasised that, although the unit received training in crowd control, it would only perform this duty at the request of and in collaboration with the police.
With the K9 unit, the same applies. The four Belgain Malinois dogs in the unit have been trained for personal protection, and sniffing out endangered species, narcotics, and ammunition.
During a joint operation with the KwaNonqaba Police, both members of the K9 and the response units assisted in the execution of a search warrant at a premises in Asla Park, where dagga and more than 7 000 mandrax tablets were confiscated by the police.
During the same operation, alcohol earmarked for illegal trade was seized. The operation led to the arrest of a 51-yearold suspect. Shortly after this, during a subsequent operation, members of the K9 ad response units assisted the SAPS in the confiscation of heroin, cocaine and R5 ammunition, found at several addresses in Asla Park.
The response unit was particularly active during the past week with patrols in several areas within the greater Mossel Bay area as part of its routine work to monitor illegal land invasion and prevent the construction of illegal structures. The unit also assisted the police in an integrated illegal immigrant operation, during which multiple arrests were made. -