More boots on the ground for Delft

One of the crime hot spots, Delft, received more Leap officers to help SAPS and other safety structures. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)

One of the crime hot spots, Delft, received more Leap officers to help SAPS and other safety structures. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Jul 18, 2023

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Cape Town - Additional Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) officers were added to one of the hot spots on the Cape Flats.

The provincial government and its partner, the City of Cape Town, deployed a further 68 officers to assist in Delft, bringing the total number to 141.

On Monday morning, Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen visited the station before a ride to the corner of Baleles Road and Symphony Way, where vehicle checkpoint fines worth R77 250 were written.

Allen said the members deployed in Delft were almost double the Leap officers in the area from the 73 officers that were serving there.

“This is the biggest deployment in any single precinct. Leap, which stems from the Western Cape Safety Plan, is an initiative of the Western Cape Government in partnership with the City.

“This intervention is squarely focused on addressing the continued murder levels in the Delft area.

“The fourth quarter crime statistics, January to March, revealed that Delft was the number one murder precinct in the province and third in the country.

“Throughout the 2022/23 financial year, Delft has been in the top 2 precincts for murder in the province.

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen conducted a vehicle checkpoint (VCP) in Symphony Way, Delft with Law Enforcement and SAPS officers. Picture: Armand Hough / African News Agency(ANA)
Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen conducted a vehicle checkpoint (VCP) in Symphony Way, Delft with Law Enforcement and SAPS officers. Picture: Armand Hough / African News Agency(ANA)

During the first quarter, April to June 2022, the precinct was also number one in the province. For the second and third quarter, it was number two in the province.”

Allen explained the evidence, data and need were crystal clear, and that was part of the reason for additional resources to the area.

“We want these and many other areas similar to Delft to know that the WCG will not idly sit around and allow criminals to have their way.”

Delft CPF chairperson Reggie Maart said he was happy that there were more officers added.

“We have seen a significant drop in the number of murders in Delft. We are not only focused on murders, we have other crimes that are getting out of hand and we hope Leap officers will help with those too.”

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za

Cape Argus