City and SAPS host joint festive season safety parade

13 December 2024

Joint safety operations between the City of Cape Town and South African Police Service (SAPS) will be the order of the day this festive season as part of the first major public safety initiative since the signing of a cooperation agreement between the SAPS, City and Western Cape Government in August. A joint safety parade was held in the CBD on Friday, 13 December.

The event included a parade of officers with their service animals, a convoy of vehicles and an exhibition on the Grand Parade of City and SAPS vehicles and equipment.

More than 870 of the City’s Project 1 000 cadets also participated in the parade, with the event marking their formal appointment as Learner Law Enforcement officers.

In joining the more than 4 000 permanent uniformed enforcement and emergency personnel, the cadets are contributing to the City’s largest ever safety deployment over a festive season.

‘We are energised by the cooperation on display here today between the SAPS, City, and CCID to make Cape Town safer over the festive season. This is the future of integrated policing in action, and follows the signing of cooperation agreement between the City and SAPS. Today we also celebrate the 876 cadets who have completed their Law Enforcement and Traffic training in time to bolster the ranks of the City’s record festive season safety deployment. These officers will be deployed across the city at our most popular beaches, mountain and hiking routes, tourist hotspots, CBDs, roadblocks by the Random Breath Taking Unit and more. Next year, these officers will complete the metro police part of the learnership, and we wish them well in their endeavours,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The integrated safety operations with SAPS and other safety and security structures will focus on economic zones, with some of the cadets bulking up the visible enforcement presence in the Wynberg, Bellville and Mitchells Plain CBDs.

Other priority areas will include public reaction areas and continued collaboration in high crime precincts.

‘We’ve also set up numerous joint operations centres in various parts of the metropole to coordinate the efforts of the various agencies involved, and ensure the best possible outcomes for the public. Apart from the resources on the ground, the City will also lean into its technological investments as a force multiplier. Our CCTV footage, for example, is available to SAPS for investigative purposes, and the rollout of dash and body cams provides another layer in the fight against crime. Smart policing is the way of the future, and equally smart is sharing resources across agencies to achieve results,’ said Alderman JP Smith, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.

‘We have entered this festive season period stronger than before with our integrated deployments in force executing much-needed, intelligence-led operations. Thanks to the cooperation agreement that enables us to tap into each other’s expertise and resources as we take the fight against crime to the doorstep of the criminal element. The SAPS detectives are also on hand to investigate reported cases and ensure suspects are brought before courts. I remain confident that our presence through various joint operational activities is already felt in some precincts as we strive to create safer communities,’ said Lt General, Thembisile Patekile.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office