Additional funding for the City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate has become available through the adjustments budget, which will go before Council for final approval. “When I was elected as Mayor in November 2018, I committed to visiting our communities and hearing first-hand what they wanted from the City of Cape Town. The response was not unexpected due to the limitations placed on policing in this city by National Government,” said Executive Mayor, Dan Plato.
“With this money, we will be able to increase our visible policing presence in vulnerable communities and invest even more funds into much-needed capital projects like fire stations. This is just the start of our efforts to increase safety levels in our communities. I want to see even more budget allocated to our enforcement agencies and rescue services in the next financial year, and the public will get to have their say when we publish our annual budget in March this year,” said Dan Plato, Executive Mayor.
The allocation of R165,2 million comprises capital expenditure of R42,2 million and operating expenditure of R123 million. The staff in our Safety and Security Directorate provide an invaluable contribution to safety in our city, in spite of very trying circumstances. In the previous financial year, they contended with an unprecedented increase in land invasions and protest action; worked tirelessly to patrol the streets amid ongoing gang violence; worked non-stop to plan for the potential impact of one of the worst droughts on record as well as an increase in attacks on staff,” added Plato.
During the 2017/18 financial year, the number of arrests made by the City’s enforcement agencies increased 17% year-on-year, as outlined in the release of the annual statistics. The number of firearm confiscations increased exponentially, as did the number of screenings for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). There were increases in the amount of liquor confiscated, notices issued for traffic and by-law offences as well as overloaded vehicles, to mention just a few categories.
