CAPE TOWN-Over 30 young police officers are hoping to protect and safeguard the communities in Grassy Park, Lotus River and the surrounding areas.
The young men and women were officially introduced and honoured during a welcoming ceremony that was held at the Subcouncil 18 offices in Lotus River near the public library on Thursday 25 September.
The officers will be operating and serving in wards 65, 66, 67, 68, 72 and 110, said Ward 72 councillor Kevin Southgate.
All the guests pose for a photo with the new officers. Photo: Keanan Harmse. 
Various Ward Councillors such as: Geraldine Gordon, Shannen Rossouw, William Akim, Donovan Nelson and Marita Petersen attended the event. 
The officers will be operating and serving in ward 65, 66, 67, 68 and 110. 
The guests who attended the event on the newly deployed officers included members of Grassy Park police station and the local neighbourhood watches. 
The Ward Councillors alongside the newly deployed officers.
The news of the law enforcement deployment comes in the wake of the crippling gang violence plaguing the local communities.
In Overcome Heights near Muizenberg, a total of eight people were shot dead in less than a week, in August, prompting calls for more police visibility.
“When we started this financial year we all boasted that the City is committed to placing five additional law enforcement officers in every ward and were patiently waiting for that day. As the City was rolling out the programme, Subcouncil 18 was getting anxious with all the gang violence in our area and we were saying we need more boots on the ground. So here we are today we have our new Neighbourhood Saftey Officers (NSO)’s with us who are part of a group of 700 officers that have trained and graduated from the academy,” said Southgate.
The NSO’s are providing dedicated policing in each ward.
Various ward councillors, including Geraldine Gordon, Shannen Rossouw, William Akim, Donovan Nelson and Marita Petersen attended the event.
Among the officials mentoring the officers are Sergeant Alvino Knight, over 30 years of policing experience and Sergeant Dowad Miller who has over 20 years of experience in the metro police, particularly in the south, Cape Town Metropolitan Police Department director Donald van Rensburg.
Acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia recently announced that in the last six months into August almost 120 young people under the age of 18 were shot resulting in 23 deaths. Children under the age of 14 accounted for five of these deaths with 41 wounded.
Since August, he said murders have increased by 18% compared to the same period last year.
