City of Cape Town employs a further 250 LEAP officers

By Robin-Lee Francke Last updated Apr 1, 2021

The Law Enforcement Advancement Plan is a joint initiative between the City of Cape Town’s safety and security directorate and the Western Cape provincial government.

The City of Cape Town is expected to deploy a further 250 LEAP officers once they have completed their training in a bid to curb crime. Photo: City of Cape Town

CAPE TOWN, April 1 (ANA) – The Cape Town council’s Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) programme has employed a further 250 officers to assist in crime prevention across the city.

In a statement on Thursday, the council said its new learner law enforcement officers had signed on for duty the previous day.

The new officers will help enforce by-laws and perform crime prevention duties including stops and searches and house searches in conjunction with members of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

LEAP is a joint initiative between the City of Cape Town’s safety and security directorate and the Western Cape provincial government.

Cape Town mayor Dan Plato said the safety of residents remained a priority.

“This partnership will assist in ensuring our city is safer and where no resident needs to live in fear. It will not be an easy task, but one the city won’t step back from. We are in this for the long haul,” Plato said.

Officers to be deployed have undergone peace officer training, attained traffic warden certificates and have been trained in the by-laws of the City of Cape Town.

The new recruits will join their colleagues in areas such as Delft, Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Bishop Lavis and Philippi.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said officers who had already been deployed were making an impact in curbing crime in communities, but cautioned that LEAP was not a “magic wand” against the scourge.

“While safety is the primary responsibility of the South African Police Service, the City continues to contribute to filling the gaps left by inadequate police resources. The officers are deployed in areas where assistance is most needed and while they are doing their part, we need SAPS to step up as well,” Smith said.

In the first three month of the year, officers attached to LEAP made 757 arrests and confiscated 29 firearms.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa