Over this past week, Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP) officers in Cape Town found illegal drugs valued at nearly half a million rand, and several arrests were made while on routine patrols.
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Alderman JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, says LEAP officers discovered a cooler box on the side of a house in Gugulethu while on patrol earlier this week. Upon further inspection, 4 930 Ecstacy tablets with an estimated street value of R493 000 were found. One person was arrested.
On Wednesday, another person was arrested in Beacon valley, Mitchells Plain, for being in possession of an unlicensed Glock 19 pistol and ammunition.
Furthermore, LEAP officers on patrol in Kraaifontein discovered a 38 Revolver with six rounds of ammunition buried in the garden of a premises in Scottsdene on Friday morning. A woman was subsequently arrested, and these types of arrests continue on a daily basis, says Smith.
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‘As a part of a specialized program supported by the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town, LEAP officers are trained up and sent to assist in police stations that are found to be under-resourced and in areas where violent crimes are more prevalent. In 2021, it was discovered that SAPS leadership had wasted R600 million on accommodation, catering, and entertainment,’ he adds.
‘This is while most police stations do not have suitable equipment, supplies, vehicles, or nearly enough detectives. The annual budget for the SAPS is currently well over R100 billion, and it is rising, just as the crime rates are rising year after year. Except in Cape Town, where the interventions made by the WCG and CCT show a dramatic reduction in several of the worst crime categories.
‘This is why the Provincial Powers Bill, which will see the devolution of some national powers to capable provincial or local governments, has been submitted to the Provincial legislature.
‘As a City, we have demonstrated our ability to combat crime and have shown we are ethical, competent and effective. When the control of SAPS is devolved unto Provincial and Local government, even greater results can be achieved.’
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Law enforcement presence in CBD leads to over a thousand arrests
Picture: JP Smith / Facebook