Cape Town – The City of Cape Town has announced its recruitment for its Auxiliary Service and is calling on accredited neighbourhood watch members who meet the criteria to apply to volunteer.
The auxiliary programme was established in 2013.
The City’s Law Enforcement department has enjoyed great success with this programme with one of the latest successes taking place on Friday, August 26.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security, Alderman JP Smith, said volunteers from Area North were conducting patrols in Edgemead when a man drove directly towards them on the wrong side of the road.
He said the officers managed to avert a collision and proceeded to pull over the driver, who was intoxicated.
“He was arrested and breathalysed … his blood alcohol level showed he was about five times over the legal limit. He was detained at Bothasig police station. Their contribution to ensuring our streets and suburbs are safer is invaluable,” Smith said.
Volunteers who sign up for the programme go through a vetting process before being trained in the Criminal Procedure Act and other skills applicable to their duties at the City’s Safety and Security Training College.
Those recruited into the programme will be required to work a minimum of 16 hours a month (after hours and on weekends) under the guidance of permanent Law Enforcement staff until the successful completion of the field training which will allow the volunteer to operate autonomously.
To date, the City of Cape Town has 112 volunteers.
“Our volunteers expand the capacity of the City’s Law Enforcement Department and we never have a shortage of neighbourhood watch members willing to give of their time and energy.
“It’s an indication that our residents are committed to a safer city for everyone. Successful recruits are also able to bolster their neighbourhood watch structures with the powers of a peace officer, which further strengthens safety within their own communities,” Smith said.
Prospective volunteers need to meet the following criteria:
- Must be 18 or older
- No criminal record or pending cases
- Must not be declared unfit to possess a firearm
- Must be a committed member of the neighbourhood watch
- Must be employed
- Must have a valid driver’s licence
- Must be able-bodied and complete a physical assessment
- Must pass the cognitive test
- Must be able to attend classes after hours during the week and on weekends for a period of two months or more.
“In the meantime, work is continuing to develop a framework that will allow us to train and appoint volunteer support officers. These would be individuals who are neighbourhood watch members who do not meet the criteria to be a uniformed volunteer, but who can provide administrative support to Law Enforcement.
“We are committed to upskilling our community safety structures and the many dedicated individuals in those structures, many of whom spend countless hours on the streets, patrolling their communities.
“This support comes in the form of our neighbourhood watch support programme, but also the volunteer opportunities that exist within Law Enforcement,” Smith said.
Nominations for volunteers can be forwarded by the chairpersons of neighbourhood watches to [email protected].
IOL