Gauteng community safety dept to speed up fight against crime

Gauteng community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko promised to step up the fight against crime, corruption, vandalism and lawlessness in the province during the budget vote speech in the legislature recently.

Mazibuko said enhanced tools such as high-quality drones, surveillance cameras, high-powered patrol vehicles, panic buttons and helicopters were part of the crime-fighting effort.

Mazibuko pronounced bold plans for the 2023/24 financial year, highlighting that the department would use portions of the more than R2-billion budget to curb crime with such tools.

“R178.3-million will be channelled towards administration to fulfil the department’s mandate.

“The provincial secretariat will receive R268.6-million to strengthen police oversight programmes and provide the necessary support to the law enforcement agencies.”

ROAD SAFETY TAKES BULK OF THE BUDGET

She said traffic management received the bulk of the budget to tackle crimes surrounding drunk driving operations, pedestrian operations, education campaigns and the resuscitation of the road safety councils.

The department was also finalising the recruitment of 6 000 crime prevention wardens, with over 4 000 wardens already deployed in 361 townships, informal settlements and hostel wards.

The wardens would augment the work of law enforcement officials and improve the response time to criminal incidents in hotspot areas.

Mazibuko said the department was also allocating resources to fight crime, corruption, vandalism and lawlessness through e-Policing initiatives.

“The provincial government will continue to pursue private-public partnerships to enhance crime-fighting initiatives.

“To date, two helicopters and 200 patrol vehicles have been procured.”

DRONES AND CAMERAS INCLUDED IN BUDGET

She said the department was working closely with the Gauteng Department of eGovernment in procuring 144 drones and 351 fully functional surveillance cameras to be installed across Gauteng.

“The department will also work with the Gauteng department of infrastructure and human settlements to alleviate lawlessness such as illegal land occupation and damage to state infrastructure,” Mazibuko said.

“The rollout of e-Panic buttons and e- Panic Apps will see close to 100 000 vulnerable families benefitting from the system. Communities will be able to receive a rapid response to reported crime incidents.”

She said the panic buttons would also reduce gender-based violence.

Police visibility in communities was vital and the department will set aside funds to ensure that CPFs were capacitated through training programmes.

“The fight against corruption is a continuous one. The department will continue to hold monthly Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) recommendations meetings with the SAPS, metropolitan police departments and Ipid to ensure that officials are accountable and ethical in their behaviour.”

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