Cape Town - Police Minister Bheki Cele warned officers not to go for joyrides with the new fleet, that was handed over to Western Cape SAPS.
251 vehicles were given to 162 stations and units, including those in high-crime areas such as Harare, Gugulethu and Kraaifontein.
Some of the divisions include Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS), Anti-Gang and Anti-Corruption units.
The fleet was bought with the 2022 budget, and Cele promised there would be more in the new budget, to be announced later this month. He added 2 300 officers were currently being trained, and they would all come to the Province.
The police held an event yesterday to distribute the cars and the launch of an online survey document at the Promenade Mall in Mitchells Plain.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile said: “We are not just giving 251 cars to the stations, but we are launching the online document too.
“We want people to be able to give us feedback on the services. We would like to improve the way we work with the communities.” Cele said Capetonians had the right to feel safe and enjoy their lives, and the more cars out there, the safer they would feel.
“This town gave us eight stations in the top 30 of the crime stats, and Mitchells Plain is one of them.
“Whenever I come to Cape Town, it’s always because of criminal activities that took place. I never visit the Cape Flats for parties, and we hope that we can fight crime and make this town safe for the residents, regardless of the pigmentation of their skin.”
Cele told the attendees, mostly SAPS and CPF members, that they should report misuse of cars. “These cars are not for groceries, girlfriends and mothers-in-law, not for transporting alcohol to shebeens, and are not to be driven by drunk officers.
“They will not be parked in garages, which is the reason we are planning to stop tyres being centralised. All stations will have to fix their own tyres, because in the past we have had instances where the tyres would be sent from Pretoria, and they didn’t fit.”
Cele said they were looking into ways of building more police stations which were more accessible to communities. MEC for Community Safety and Police Oversight Reagen Allen said they would continue monitoring the SAPS.
“We are meeting with the relevant departments to ensure that stations are built; the sites that are available have to be used as police stations. We have to find new methods of building police stations in a way that everyone is able to walk to them, and stations within our budget.
“We believe it was the people’s needs and priorities report, published earlier this year, that assisted in the delivery of these vehicles. We promise to keep working hand-in-hand with provincial and national government to keep people safe.”
Provincial CPF representative Rafique Fhoflonker said: “It’s such a tragedy when a reservist who is eager to work is told there are no vehicles. We need lots more; cars can’t just park because they need light bulbs.
“Officers must realise that the community members relax and feel safe when they see police vans.
“We are happy about the fleet and hope the police will not abuse the cars.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za