Cape Town – Officers attached to the City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) have made their presence felt in the 14 police precincts where they have been deployed.
According to the Western Cape MEC for community safety and police oversight, Reagen Allen, between April 4 and July 3, LEAP officers have arrested over 1 400 suspects.
The officers have been deployed to areas with high crime rates and this includes the province’s top 10 murder areas which includes Delft, Gugulethu, Harare, Khayelitsha (Site B policing precinct), Kraaifontein, Mfuleni, Mitchells Plain, Nyanga, Philippi East, and Samora Machel.
Other areas officers are deployed to include Atlantis, Bishop Lavis and Hanover Park, and recently Lavender Hill, Steenberg and Grassy Park.
According to the Western Cape government, the placements of these officers have been done strategically and backed by evidence and data.
For years, Nyanga was known as the murder capital of the country and during the first deployment of LEAP officers in 2020, the area became a priority.
Local government said LEAP has made significant inroads in the Nyanga area and for the first time in years, there is a reduction in its murder rate for four consecutive quarters during the 2021/22 financial year.
It also stated Gugulethu who frequented the list of the top 30 murder stations in the country is no longer there and it attributed this and other successes to the strategic deployment of LEAP officers.
During the period from April and July, LEAP officers managed to search 108 277 persons, arrest 1 491 suspects of which 35 were in possession of an illegal firearm, 46 for possession of illegal ammunition, 24 for imitation firearm, 1 177 for the possession of drugs and 209 for possession of dangerous weapons.
LEAP officers also conducted 1 736 integrated operations with other City of Cape Town law enforcement agencies and police.
“The consistent efforts of the LEAP officers and being the extra boots on the ground demonstrates the importance of visible policing.
“This is one of the most effective methods in combating crime, particularly murder, which is the primary focus area of the LEAP deployment.
“The confiscation of the various weapons ensures that fewer people could potentially be harmed by guns, while the removal of drugs helps ensure that our people do not get addicted to illicit substances that leads to various crimes, including committing murder.
“I’ve heard and seen in many communities how requests are made to deploy LEAP in their areas. These requests clearly show that LEAP is visible and having an impact in crime prevention and detection.
“We have a long way to go, especially since our ultimate goal is to reduce the murder rate by 50% by 2029,” Allen said.
He said LEAP officers would never be able to combat crime on their own and serves as a force multiplier to the police and other law enforcement agencies.
Allen urged all sectors of society to join and create safer communities.