Police Oversight and Community Safety
With regard to the call by Overcome Heights, Muizenberg’s Community Policing Forum, for backup following a deadly week marked by gang-related killings:
- What concrete steps are she and her Department taking to ensure that CPFs in Overcome Heights, and similarly affected communities, receive the urgent SAPS support they require, such as enhanced patrols, rapid response capability and visible policing presence and (b) how is her Department improving coordination and accountability between CPFs and police stations to ensure that crime scenes are processed swiftly, investigations are speedily launched and residents’ calls for help are not ignored in the face of escalating gang violence?
(a) Community Police Forums (CPFs) operate in alignment with the boundaries of policing precincts and are not confined to specific communities. In this instance, Overcome Heights falls within the jurisdiction of the Muizenberg SAPS precinct.
The Muizenberg SAPS precinct is currently experiencing significant operational strain due to limited personnel and resources. This challenge is further compounded by the rapid expansion of informal settlements in the area, which places additional pressure on policing services.
In response, the Department actively encourages community participation in safety initiatives by promoting the establishment of accredited Neighbourhood Watch structures (NHWs). These NHWs are urged to collaborate closely with the CPF in their policing precinct in order to enhance community safety and support SAPS’ efforts.
(b) The Department conducts assessments of CPFs on a rotational basis over the five- year MTEF period to evaluate their functionality. These assessments also consider the effectiveness of cooperation between CPFs and SAPS. In addition,
the Department’s Monitoring and Evaluation division undertakes police station assessments to track compliance with policing standards and promote accountability and operational efficiency.
To strengthen coordination and responsiveness, the Department facilitates engagements that bring together CPFs, SAPS, NHWs, and other relevant law enforcement and community stakeholders. These collaborative platforms help CPFs and SAPS to address local crime challenges more holistically, improve the processing of crime scenes, expedite investigations, and respond to residents’ concerns promptly and effectively.
