Cape Town - The new police vehicles handed over to the police for operational duties in the Western Cape on Thursday, were widely welcomed.
More than 50 vehicles were handed over by the provincial acting commissioner of police Major-General Thembisile Patekile as part of the province’s visible policing initiative, to increase police presence.
Deputy provincial commissioner for visible policing Mpumelelo Manci said the purpose of the handover of the vehicles to clusters and stations was for effective service delivery.
Manci said the vehicles were given to 12 clusters, K9 and Flash, and that the output would address the implementation of rural highway patrols.
"These are the tools of trade for service delivery and we register our commitment to ensure that these vehicles will be utilised for the benefit of the community, they will be looked after and well maintained for continuous service delivery," said Manci.
Patekile said the vehicles were a first batch and there would be more vehicles handed over in a month or two.
Western Cape Cluster commanders receiving keys for vehicles. @TheCapeArgus @IOL #NewSAPSvehiclea pic.twitter.com/c7xmzcl696
— Sisonke Mlamla (@SISONKE_MD) June 17, 2021
He said the vehicles would be spread across the province to help the fight against crime and some would be used in the incoming and outgoing routes to the province.
“The routes in and out of the province are used for a lot of things like gun and drug smuggling into the province and also there are criminals that are trying to escape the province and those coming in using these routes,” he said.
Community Policing Forum (CPF) provincial chairperson Fransina Lukas said the shortage of vehicles are a major obstacle in service delivery to communities.
Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz commended the police for the initiative of handing over 58 vehicles for the purpose of fighting crime.
He said the resource injection would bolster crime fighting efforts.
“Under our Provincial Safety Plan, the provincial government has committed to working with and supporting SAPS in fighting crime, and we continue to do so to realise a safer Western Cape for all our citizens.”
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesperson, Richard Mamabolo said the move will build the much needed capacity to ensure police visibility and improve services.
SA Police and Allied Workers Union (Sapawu) president Bonga Makuliwe said it was a good gesture especially when allocated to the correct components, stations or units and they must look at the problem stations and use them to decrease crime.
Makuliwe said they must stop opening new units when they have a new fleet and redirect all those vehicles to the new unit.