Unit contributes to a safer city for all

I REFER to the article, “Questions over legality of City’s Special Investigations Unit in Parliament” (Cape Times, March 4).

It is interesting that the unit attracts this type of attention, considering the myriad questions being raised about the overall state of national policing organs.

But, I digress.

For the record, the City’s Safety and Security Investigations Unit (SSIU) has numerous functions, including internal investigations into staff disciplinary matters and undertaking watching briefs to monitor what is happening in court with priority cases dealt with by the Metro Police Department, including firearm, drugs and drunk-driving cases. They also undertake shadow investigations in support of the Metro Police Gang and Drug Task Team and other units.

The policing undertaken by SSIU and all other City enforcement staff and specialised units, like the Metal Theft Unit and Rail Enforcement Unit, inevitably and inadvertently give rise to investigation and information gathering activities – this is so for all police anywhere in the world.

It is impossible to undertake policing and not undertake investigations and information gathering. Even private investigators and forensic audit firms do so.

The City has obtained legal opinion on the matter, which indicates that criminal investigations are not the exclusive domain of SAPS and that the SAPS cannot be expected to investigate all crimes without assistance from the private sector and other public institutions such as the City of Cape Town.

If the SSIU investigations were illegal, as referred to in the narrative created, it would be shut down without the need to create false hype. The unit is currently involved in the investigation of 71 cases which include charges of rape, murder, hijacking, intimidation, theft, robbery, fraud and corruption, to name a few.

Trying to shut down the work done by the City’s Safety and Security Investigations Unit serves only the criminals.

The City’s SSIU will continue to do its work in policing which includes investigations and information gathering.

The unit is dedicated to contributing towards a safer Cape Town for all. JP SMITH | Mayoral committee member for safety and security