Reagen Allen, Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, made safety oversight visits to the Matzikama, Cederberg, Saldanha Bay and Swartland municipal areas.

From Sunday 26 to Wednesday 29 June these included meetings with relevant safety officials and executives of these municipalities as well as unannounced visits to the Vanrhynsdorp, Vredendal, Klawer, Clanwilliam, Citrusdal, Vredenburg, Saldanha and Langebaan police stations.

Allen also attended the Matzikama Safety Summit in Klawer, a patrol with the Vredenburg Neighbourhood Watch (NHW), where police and Community Policing Forum members also joined.

He also joined a vehicle checkpoint operation with law enforcement, the police and its K9 unit in Malmesbury.

Allen said he was grateful to all those who robustly engaged with him over the past few days.

“I welcome the passion that was expressed by various quarters for not only a safer West Coast District, but for a safer Western Cape as a whole,” he said.

“I share their drive and desire.”

The minister said he had a deep concern for the variety of issues he had witnessed at literally all stations across the region.

“Among others, they included continued under-resourcing at some police stations. In certain instances there were only two or three officers on duty, significantly lower than what the allocation should be and there were vehicles that remained parked due to mechanical failure.”

He added there are some stations where officers are unable to engage communities in their mother tongue.

“One station has not had a generator for the past three months, which means residents cannot be assisted when they require the police in the evening during load shedding periods.

“Holding cells also had a number of challenges and some are not fully functional. All these concerns are being formulated and will be shared with the police provincial commissioner, Lt Gen Thembisile Patekile, so they can urgently be addressed.”

Allen also said he was deeply concerned that there was not a single accredited neighbourhood watch (NHW) structure in the Matzikama area.

“I’d like to thank the Vredenburg NHW and all its partners for the patrol we could have,” he said.

“It is also particularly pleasing to note there are young people who are also members of this watch.

“The K9 unit in Malmesbury continues to do very sterling work, and its members are showing how they are combating crime, not only in the Swartland area, but right across the West Coast district.”

Allen concluded he was looking forward to returning to the district to engage more role-players in the safety arena.