Region A is only served by 100 Metro police officers.
This was revealed by Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe when asked about reckless driving and traffic congestion on Seventh Road in Halfway Gardens. She said some motorists and taxi drivers drive on the pavement of that road, endangering primary school learners in the process.
Region A consists of areas such as Midrand, Diepsloot, Kyalami and Paulshof among others.
It is home to more than 250 000 residents, most of whom are concentrated in Midrand. The western part of the region is scarcely populated, though some 56 000 people reside in the township of Diepsloot alone.
“We only have 100 officers in Region A. The recent Diesploot events [protests] have also required that Metro police officers be there. So there are very few left to take care of the rest of the wards,” said Deppe.
She hoped that this would improve when the new budgets were allocated.
Xolani Fihla of the Metro police said they did deploy officers to Seventh Road.
“The only challenge is that officers cannot be deployed on a daily basis. It all depends on the manpower of the day and operations conducted. When there is enough manpower, officers will be deployed throughout Region A to alleviate [traffic] congestion,” said Fihla.
Related article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/298130/local-npo-gets-recognition-from-the-jmpd-2/
