Pursuing a Secure Environment: The Safety and Security Portfolio Committee Commends Enforcement Accomplishments

The Continuous Improvement Strategy emphasizes high-level skills development, technology utilization, and specialized units to enhance safety and broaden crime prevention initiatives.

What is the Safety and Security Directorate Continuous Improvement Strategy?

The Safety and Security Directorate Continuous Improvement Strategy seeks to deliver a high level of service and emphasizes high-level skills development, broader utilization of technology, and other specialized units to enhance safety and widen crime prevention initiatives. Capacity building through enhanced training is also a vital aspect of the strategy, with interventions planned to improve training colleges responsible for developing officers in various departments.

Celebrating Achievements and Developing Strategies

The Safety and Security Portfolio Committee recently gathered to applaud the directorate’s enforcement achievements and deliberate on addressing the challenges faced in promoting a safer environment through improved service delivery. The committee met last week with the purpose of discussing these issues and approving the draft Continuous Improvement Strategy.

The City’s Safety and Security Directorate is constantly adapting to an ever-evolving and dynamic environment, working relentlessly to provide efficient crime prevention services in communities. In an effort to further enhance safety, the directorate persistently introduces new measures to refine their approach.

One of the main topics at the committee meeting was the Safety and Security Directorate Continuous Improvement Strategy, which seeks to deliver a high level of service. In light of the numerous challenges within the enforcement environment, this strategy emphasizes high-level skills development, broader utilization of technology such as CCTV, drones, body and dash cams, and other specialized units. By collaborating with other enforcement agencies and supporting the South African Police Service, the directorate aims to widen its crime prevention initiatives.

Strengthening Capacity and Improving Training

Capacity building is a vital aspect of the strategy. By providing enhanced training, the directorate will ensure that all staff members can perform their duties at levels that exceed public expectations. Consequently, the directorate plans to implement service improvement interventions at the training colleges responsible for developing officers in the Traffic Service, Metro Police, Law Enforcement Departments, and the Fire & Rescue Service. These interventions will involve recruiting additional trainers to ensure that the training colleges operate at their full capacity and meet the training requirements of the City’s policing and emergency services departments.

During the meeting, the committee also acknowledged the numerous weekly achievements of the enforcement departments. In a single week, the Traffic Service, Law Enforcement, and Metro Police Departments apprehended 396 suspects on various charges. The City’s Public Emergency and Communication Centre (PECC) plays a vital role in recording emergency calls and relaying information to various services, allowing officers to respond swiftly and attend to incidents. Over the long weekend of September 22-25, 2023, the PECC logged 2,671 calls, illustrating the high call volumes typically experienced on weekends.

Recognizing Successes and Supporting Growth

From July 2022 to June 2023, Law Enforcement officers confiscated 168 firearms, 2,188 rounds of ammunition, and arrested more than 12,000 suspects on various charges. In acknowledgment of these accomplishments, Councillor Mzwakhe Nqavashe, Chairperson of the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee, said, “The Safety and Security Portfolio Committee recognizes the outstanding work performed by our enforcement officers in often extremely difficult and dangerous situations. The committee will continue to support our departments and provide officers with the best possible equipment within the available budget.”

Nqavashe also underscored the significance of training opportunities for officers to refine their skills and stay up-to-date with the latest technological advancements in crime prevention. He congratulated all officers for their commitment and dedication to fostering safer communities and emphasized the ongoing efforts of the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee in ensuring a more secure environment for everyone.

1. What is the Safety and Security Directorate Continuous Improvement Strategy?

The Safety and Security Directorate Continuous Improvement Strategy seeks to deliver a high level of service and emphasizes high-level skills development, broader utilization of technology, and other specialized units to enhance safety and widen crime prevention initiatives.

2. What was the purpose of the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee meeting?

The Safety and Security Portfolio Committee recently gathered to applaud the directorate’s enforcement achievements and deliberate on addressing the challenges faced in promoting a safer environment through improved service delivery.

3. What was the main topic of discussion at the committee meeting?

One of the main topics at the committee meeting was the Safety and Security Directorate Continuous Improvement Strategy, which seeks to deliver a high level of service.

4. What measures does the Safety and Security Directorate use to refine their approach?

The directorate persistently introduces new measures to refine their approach, including the broader utilization of technology such as CCTV, drones, body and dash cams, and other specialized units.

5. What is the role of the Public Emergency and Communication Centre (PECC)?

The City’s Public Emergency and Communication Centre (PECC) plays a vital role in recording emergency calls and relaying information to various services, allowing officers to respond swiftly and attend to incidents.

6. What accomplishments were recognized by the committee?

Law Enforcement officers confiscated 168 firearms, 2,188 rounds of ammunition, and arrested more than 12,000 suspects on various charges from July 2022 to June 2023.

7. What is the significance of training opportunities for officers?

Councillor Mzwakhe Nqavashe underscored the significance of training opportunities for officers to refine their skills and stay up-to-date with the latest technological advancements in crime prevention.

8. How does the committee support enforcement officers?

The committee will continue to support enforcement departments and provide officers with the best possible equipment within the available budget to foster safer communities.