Volunteers dedicate nearly 70 000 hours towards a safer city
15 June 2025
The Law Enforcement Auxiliary Service, started more than a decade ago, has become an integral part of the department's public safety plans. Hundreds of volunteers don the uniform every month.
The Law Enforcement auxiliary service comprises approximately 300 members at any given time. These officers work under supervision of permanent staff members and are required to do a minimum of 16 hours a month, which would equate to a total of just over 43 000 over a nine-month period.
The actual total is 68 089,5 hours. During this time, they made 178 arrests, confiscated seven firearms and 18 imitation firearms, 1 259 units of alcohol and issued 8 276 fines for various transgressions.
'The statistics tell only a part of the story. These volunteers also ease the load by standing down at accident scenes, assisting motorists and the public in general, and improving the City's visibility in their areas of deployment. They don't shy away from the serious issues, as the firearm statistics attest to, and we remain incredibly indebted to the officers who sacrifice their personal time to ensure safer streets for everyone,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
The officers are split between the four geographical areas within the metropole, supported by an Auxiliary Animal Control Unit, Marine Unit and Rural Safety Unit.
From July 2025, the first batch of non-uniformed volunteers will be on duty.
Anyone wishing to take up a uniformed position within the Law Enforcement Auxiliary Service must be at least 18, with a Matric or equivalent qualification. Other criteria are:
• Be in good health and pass the prescribed physical assessment;
• Be of good standing and have no criminal record;
• Not be the accused in an ongoing or pending criminal case that is of a serious nature;
• Subject him or herself to an internal vetting process;
• Be in possession of a valid manual driving licence ;
• Pass a compulsory internal driving assessment;
• Complete the prescribed entry level cognitive assessment successfully;
• Comply with the City's prescribed drug test policy;
• Comply with any other conditions as determined by the Law Enforcement HR Branch
Those applying for civilian volunteer duties need to be 18 and have at least a Grade 10 qualification. They should also:
• Be of good standing and have no criminal record;
• Not be the accused in an ongoing or pending criminal case that is of a serious nature;
• Subject him or herself to an internal vetting process;
• Complete the prescribed entry level cognitive assessment successfully;
• Comply with the City's prescribed drug test policy; and
• Comply with any other conditions as determined by the Law Enforcement HR Branch.
For more information about the service and how to apply, click on the link here: https://bit.ly/3YVZMi0
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
