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Alderman JP Smith: Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security

<h2 class="sectHeading">Vision statement</h2> <span><figure class="figure-credits right"><img class="responsive" alt="placeholder" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Inline%20Images/smith_inline.jpg" /><figcaption> <p> <b>Alderman JP Smith</b><br>Safety and Security</p> </figcaption> </figure></span> <p>In pursuit of achieving a safe city, our goal is to keep residents safe, reduce crime and help create a city that affords all our residents a dignified quality of life. This requires the directorate to respond dynamically to the daily challenges and needs of residents and visitors. It also requires a directorate that the public trusts. We are expanding our resources, investing in training and development of staff and building strategic partnerships with communities, the private sector and non-governmental organisations. All of this is underpinned by information-driven policing and smart technology.</p><p>In pursuit of achieving an inclusive, caring and opportunity city, we are also modernising our online booking system to include film shoots and events.</p><p>The Public Emergency Call Center (107) is an important part of the directorate and serves as an interface between residents who report incidents and the enforcement and rescue services.</p><p>The Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) support team within the Safety Support Services works with NHWs to provide accreditation, training and equipment for these valuable community crime fighters. Over the next year, we will formalise our partnerships with the private security industry just as we have with the private sector CCTV operators through the License Plate Recognition User Group (LPRUG).</p><p>The City of Cape Town has led the way with innovations such as the Disaster Volunteers and the Law Enforcement Auxiliary Service, which is the only police reservist service run by local government in South Africa. We have also pioneered the rent-a-cop (externally sponsored officer) programme and specialised units such as the Gang and Drug Task Team and Metal Theft Unit (Copperheads).</p><p>The most recent collaboration between the City and the Provincial Government is the Law Enforcement Advancement Project (LEAP) which has seen over 1 000 officers deployed into the ten most crime-affected police precincts with increasing support systems to allow these units to achieve the reduction in crime statistics recently announced by the national minister, where the Western Cape was the only province to reduce its murder rate and specifically achieved these in the LEAP deployment areas.</p><p>We have achieved the largest local government CCTV footprint in South Africa and have been the only city to implement gunfire detection systems in high-risk areas and to effectively implement computer-aided dispatch and integrated spatially-enabled resource management through our award-winning EPIC system which ensures that we drive accountability and efficiency in the interest of service excellence to the people of Cape Town.</p><h2 class="sectHeading">Biography</h2><p>Alderman Jean-Pierre Smith was born on 13 July, 1971. He attended Micro Primary School and matriculated at De Kuilen High School, both in Kuilsriver, Cape Town. He continued his studies at Stellenbosch University where he achieved a BA degree in English. </p><p>In addition to serving as the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, he is also a Proportional Councillor assigned to Langa and serves on the Provincial Executive of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and has been re-elected by the DA Caucus in the City of Cape Town for the second time as the Deputy Caucus Leader. He previously served as the ward councillor for the Atlantic Seaboard as well as the chairperson of the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee.</p><p>Ald Smith served on the board of an NGO working with street children as well as a variety of other NGOs that assist children and adults living on the street; including the Western Cape Street Children’s Forum and the Central Street People's Forum, which he has chaired for two years. He started the Atlantic Seaboard Refugees Association and the Atlantic Seaboard Domestic Workers’ Association and served on the Civilian Oversight Committee of the Cape Town Metro Police.</p><p>He previously taught English abroad and conducted computer software research and development. His interests include paragliding, kayaking, travelling, IT and gadgets of all descriptions and exploring the diversity of people and cultures.</p><h2 class="sectHeading">Projects and departments</h2><p>As Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Ald Smith has oversight over the following areas related to safety and security:</p><ul><li>Emergency Services(PECC / 107) </li><li>Disaster Risk Management</li><li>Traffic Services</li><li>Fire and Rescue Services</li><li>Law Enforcement Service</li><li>Metro Police Department</li><li>Events and Film</li><li>Safety and Security Investigations Unit</li><li>Neighbourhood Policing Support (Neighbourhood Watches) </li></ul><h2 class="sectHeading">Contact</h2><h4>Alderman JP Smith</h4><p>Mayoral Committee Member: Safety and Security</p><p>Telephone:<br><a><em>021 400 1311 </em></a><em>/ </em> <em> <a>083 6753 780</a></em></p><p>Email:<br><a href="mailto:jean-pierre.smith@capetown.gov.za"><em>jean-pierre.smith@capetown.gov.za</em></a></p>

The Safety and Security Directorate drives the implementation of one of the five pillars of the strategic focus areas of the City: A Safe City.