City of Cape Town extends facility protection initiative

The programme was piloted in Nyanga and Gugulethu earlier this year with the appointment of 50 local neighbourhood watch members as facility wardens and eight auxiliary law enforcement officers to patrol and protect sports complexes and community centres. They worked under the leadership of operational commander Senior Inspector Linda Gantsho.

Since their deployment, there had been only three cases of vandalism and theft from facilities, incurring damage of just over R70,000. This was compared with eight cases with damage incurred at just under R800,000 for the same period last year. The FPOs also made 13 arrests, issued 479 fines, confiscated 2200 counterfeit DVDs/CDs, and even impounded a truck for illegal dumping, mayoral committee member for safety and security; and social services JP Smith said on Sunday.

“The statistics are all the motivation we need to expand this programme to other areas. Not only do we safeguard our facilities for the enjoyment of the communities they serve, but we also provide employment and an economic injection into these same communities.

“The facility protection officers also offer another layer of visible policing as their patrols and powers are not limited to the sports fields and libraries they are employed to protect,” Smith said.

The city had dedicated a R20 million budget for the programme for this financial year for salaries, four weeks of training per recruit, equipment, and vehicles. The number of staff would increase from the initial 58 to 224, comprising 64 auxiliary law enforcement officers as shift leaders and 160 facility wardens. The brief would also be expanded to include other city facilities, such as libraries and clinics.

FPO responsibilities included facility inspections, including visiting static security staff and checking compliance with facility usage; reporting building defects and following up on defects reported via assigned co-ordinators; a combination of foot/static patrols and vehicle patrols; community awareness and intelligence gathering on illegal bucket shops, drug activity, and general crime concerns; and assistance with crowd control, deployment at pools over the festive season, and basic lifesaving.

The initial deployment would be at 32 identified facilities in Manenberg, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Philippi, Delft, Khayelitsha, Seawinds, Langa, Mitchells Plain, Uitsig, Atlantis, Wallacedene, and Ocean View.

“The continued success of this programme will rely heavily on the level of community involvement. Many communities would be all too familiar with a clinic, library, or community centre being closed as a result of vandalism or theft, robbing them of crucial services.

“The culprits are seldom outsiders. The FPOs are there to reduce the risk and so it is in the best interests of residents to support this endeavour and help us bring criminals to book. We’re building safer communities while at the same time improving the economic fortunes of hundreds of people by providing work opportunities – both of which are key priorities in the city’s organisational development and transformation plan,” Smith said.