City honours its Law Enforcement volunteers
6 February 2019
The City’s Law Enforcement volunteers were commended at an awards ceremony last night for their contribution to the fight against crime.
The Auxiliary Law Enforcement Service was established in November 2013, when the first 16 volunteers hit the streets.
As a first in South Africa, it allows for members of the public to register as volunteers to participate in fighting crime and assist with Law Enforcement duties.
Five years later, the volunteer corps has grown to 529.
All auxiliary members are trained in the Criminal Procedure Act and other components applicable to their duties at the Metro Police College.
They are required to work a minimum of 16 hours per month under the guidance of permanent Law Enforcement staff.
In October 2018, the Auxiliary Service gained its first batch of inspectors who were appointed from within their ranks.
Volunteerism has been key to the Safety and Security Directorate’s achievements over the years. Between Law Enforcement and the Disaster Risk Management Centre, we have nearly a thousand volunteers who quietly go about the business of helping us build a safer city.
Our Auxiliary Law Enforcement officers have had their fair share of successes, from recovering drugs and stolen property, to arresting dangerous criminals. The successes, of which there have been many, come from their passion and commitment to serving their communities and we thank them for their selfless dedication.
Between December 2018 and January 2019, the Auxiliary Volunteer Service recorded a number of successes, including:
- 860 Section 341 fines issued
- 163 Section 56 notices issued
- 220 suspects searched
- 35 suspects arrested on double warrants
- 16 arrests on a range of charges including poaching, hijacking, rape, armed robbery and possession of drugs
- Recovery of a hijacked vehicle, 504 units of abalone, 120 units of drugs and R780 in cash
We also continue to invest in the service, with the latest acquisition being the procurement of 30 vehicles to improve mobility and visibility. The return on investment is evident not only in the enforcement statistics, but also in the succession planning within Law Enforcement.
Where Expanded Public Works Programme opportunities become available, like with the Stabilisation Unit, we already have trained and functioning volunteers who can apply for these positions.
This arrangement means that we dramatically cut down the time spent on recruitment and training and can have feet on the ground almost immediately.
I salute our volunteers for their hard work. The awards ceremony is a small token of appreciation for their efforts. It is also an opportunity to showcase the work they do in service to Cape Town and her residents. For that, we thank them.
A list of Auxiliary Volunteer Service awards recipients is available here: /media/211ltyvc/lawenforcementauxiliaryserviceawardrecipients-february2019.pdf
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