Residents of Wards 107 and 113 will soon benefit from an increased visible-policing presence, as five dedicated neighbourhood-safety officers (NSOs) have been deployed to the area, announced councillors Sue van der Linde and Jonathan Mills.
“These officers will focus on foot and vehicle patrols, visible policing and support law enforcement in addressing anti-social behaviour, by-law enforcement and crime hotspots across our ward,” said Van der Linde.
“The appointment of these NSOs is a direct response to residents’ concerns about safety along the beachfront, in parks, and in residential areas. This deployment is a significant step forward for #SaferCleanerWard113.”
The new NSOs will collaborate closely with the police, the community policing forum (CPF) neighbourhood watches and law enforcement, strengthening cooperation to create safer, cleaner public spaces.
This local deployment forms part of a citywide expansion of policing resources, following the graduation of over 700 new City police officers on 9 September, marking the largest investment in new boots on the ground in over a decade. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security, attended the graduation parade.
“This new deployment includes dedicated neighbourhood policing for every ward, a special unit for the N2/Airport precinct, and enhanced protection for frontline service delivery teams in crime hotspots,” said Hill-Lewis.
“It’s a clear message to the police, national government and criminals alike: the City is stepping up to make Cape Town safer.”
Programme completed
The new recruits completed an 18-month learnership programme, including:
- Traffic-officer training (12 months);
- Metro police-officer training, including firearm competency (three months);
- Specialised training in neighbourhood-safety officer duties, evidence-based policing, tactical training and EPIC system coordination and
- Civic Academy modules.
“This investment is a declaration, a clear message to the criminals who have held our communities hostage, that their time is running out. A line is being drawn in the sand between lawlessness and order, between fear and safety, between silence and accountability. The City is stepping up once more, and every day we will work to ensure decent and good people can again own their communities and feel safe at home and on the street.
“Since as far back as 2018 I have been working to find a way to deliver on this goal,” said Smith, “not just to respond to complaints and undertake pre-planned operations across an entire metro police district, but to have a permanent presence in each ward. The opportunity and funding just never aligned until now.
Policing resources
The City continues to invest in growing its policing resources, including:
. More than 1 200 officers deployed to major crime hotspots via the LEAP initiative in partnership with the Western Cape Government.
. Further growth of more than 1 100 uniformed officers since 2021, including a new deployment of 700 more officers this Spring.
. A major safety-technology investment for smarter policing, including drones, dash cams, gunshot detection, CCTV, dash cams, bodycams, automated number-plate recognition and the digital system to coordinate it all, known as EPIC.
Mills said: “These fresh, young constables, along with their very experienced sergeant, will now begin community orientation to develop the operational plan. Together with the teams for the surrounding wards, these long-awaited boots are on the ground.”
Van der Linde added: “As your representative I remain committed to ensuring every resident feels secure. The arrival of these NSOs strengthens our ability to tackle crime proactively and build a safer, cleaner Ward 113 for all.”
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