The initiative started in the City of Cape Town due to high levels of crime.
Cape Town Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith told Midrand Reporter that the externally-funded Metro police, law enforcement and traffic officials’ policy was approved for Cape Town on 29 October, 2008.
He said the initiative “… increases its enforcement in areas at no cost to the general ratepayers – the local sponsors pay all the costs… and at no point will sponsors be allowed to issue directives or alter tasks. The chief of the relevant department will do so. In an emergency situation, the contracted members may be withdrawn from the area of deployment”.
Smith explained, “These staff members do what Metro police, law enforcement and traffic officers do, but they work in the specific area as agreed in the contract as a top-up on top of the law enforcement.”
Smith said the officials work under the normal chain of command of the regional inspector, assistant chief and chief inspectors from the traffic department and Metro police department – and will remain under the full and effective oversight of the Civilian Oversight Committee, the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee and the Department of Community Safety.
He admitted that the City was aware of potential conflict of interest, but in spite of that, the initiative creates jobs, as the officers are new contractual recruits who will be trained by the relevant departments.
It is reported that “…V& A Waterfront will pay R148 000 for a City traffic official to be stationed at the precinct until June”.
Ward 112 councillor, Candice James said while the service could be frowned upon as a paid service, law enforcers needed help in curbing crime.
She added, “The rent -a-cop system cements the fact that our police in South Africa are short-staffed, and business owners and shopping centres may lean towards renting a cop to curb crime.”
Speaking on behalf of Fight Against Crime, Al Karaki said, “At least it shows that visible policing has the positive effect of reducing crime. Without question, crime levels are high in South Africa, we at Fight Against Crime have proposed to [Metro police], for the last three years, that a few Midrand residents should be trained to be part-time Metro police officers to issue tickets, keep an eye on bylaw infringements and other City of Joburg offences.”
