Problems with Joburg Ten Plus programme
SANDTON - Ward councillors in the Sandton area have expressed disappointment with the Metro police Ten Plus initiative, attributed to a shortage of resources and, in some wards, a break-down of communication.
The initiative was launched in July 2012 with the intention of having ward-based visible law enforcement that could focus on bylaws and assist with reporting municipal matters. They are mandated to work with the ward councillor of the area and coordinate their efforts through regular communication.
However, in late May Ward 102 councillor David Potter said he had thus far not met the sergeant in charge of the Metro police contingent in his ward, nor any of the officers. He said the initiative had yielded no results so far. Ward 104 councillor Mike Wood expressed similar levels of frustration and echoed Potter’s complaints.
When Metro police spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar was informed of these issues he requested Potter and Wood to contact the Metro police Regional Director for Region B to facilitate a meeting with the officers in their wards, which was arranged a few days later.
Wood said afterwards that the meeting had been positive. He said, “Bridges were mended and the lines of communication have been established. The proof is in the pudding and now we’ll have to wait and see if they deliver.” Potter said he had also made progress recently and he was hopeful that he would have the officers sustained cooperation.
Stephen Moore, councillor of Ward 106, attributed some of the initiative’s shortfalls to a lack of cooperation from other council entities. He said initially things were going well and the officers in his ward were actively reporting municipal issues, however, the matters were not being acted upon. He said the concept was good, and Metro couldn’t be blamed for all the programme’s failures. He emphasised the need to receive feedback from entities.
Ward 32 councillor Darren Bergman said the initiative’s failures were in its inconsistency. “What you’re getting now is really a lucky packet,” he said. Although he said he had a good relationship with the sergeant in his ward, he knew this wasn’t the case in other areas. He also said municipal cooperation was lacking. “It’s nowhere near the plan,” he added.
Ward 91 councillor, Andrew Stuart said a shortage of resources was a challenge. He said most wards have between six and eight officers assigned, rather than 10, working three shifts a day. He said this meant that they weren’t always readily available and vehicles were sometimes taken to be used in operations elsewhere.
Minnaar explained that from its inception it was decided that resources would be allocated according to priority. He said some areas have a much denser population, such as Alexandra, where there are a great many challenges to address. He said he was still hopeful, but communication was key.
