Police Minister, Bheki Cele, says anti-gang units and police stations that fall within provinces that rank the highest in terms of reported crimes have been allocated additional resources for the year ahead.

The minister said this when he tabled the department’s budget vote during a mini-plenary of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

“Provinces with the highest incidence of reported crime have been prioritised in terms of the allocation of baseline budgets.

“The top 30 High Contact Crime Weight Stations have been prioritised in terms of resources, which includes an additional budget allocation of R62 million, while R25 million additional allocation will be directed to safety and security at police stations.

“KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Limpopo provinces received the biggest allocation of funds in this regard,” he said.

Cele said a further R26 million additional funding will continue to capacitate the anti- gang units.

“The Western Cape has the lion share of this budget, with R10 million allocated towards preventing, combating and investigating gang violence in that province.”

Cele said the budget will support continued efforts and operational plans to deal with stations with high murder and attempted murder statistics, including other violent crimes.

“The additional budget allocations, over and above the baseline budget, must make a difference in Umlazi, Inanda, Plessislaer, Harare, Kraaifontein, Delft, Mfuleni, Khayelitsha, Kagiso, Thohoyandou and Lusikisiki and others.”

He said station commanders and their members, including Provincial Commissioners and their management teams will have to occupy the streets more often than before, and saturate these places with continuous crime prevention and multidisciplinary operations.

R100 million to support GBVF programmes

Cele said, meanwhile, that an additional budget of R100 million will be allocated to provinces to support all programmes related to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) action plans, and family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) units, including the Top 30 stations.

“Continuous breakthrough in GBVF related crimes boosts public confidence in policing.

“True to our Gender-based Violence and Sexual Offences Action Plan, R1.3 billion is allocated to baseline activities related to the GBV and resourcing of FCS units.”

Cele said R30 million will be geared towards the servicing of youth, children and vulnerable groups including awareness campaigns. – SAnews.gov.za