The Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, and the Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, visited the next cohort of LEAP law enforcement officers today, currently in training, who will be deployed in communities including Atlantis, Philippi East and Samora Machel by December this year.
Their deployment will add to the over 800 LEAP already deployed in Delft, Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein, Mfuleni, Nyanga, Harare, Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain.
The additional deployments of LEAP officers will ensure that they are deployed to all the top 10 murder stations in the Western Cape, whilst also maintaining deployments in Bishop Lavis (including Bonteheuwel) and Philippi (including Hanover Park) to ensure that these areas are kept stabilized.
Premier Winde said: “It was great to meet some of the LEAP officers in training today who will be playing a critical role in making our communities safer. We also had the opportunity to engage with LEAP, stationed in Muizenberg today, who are already deployed and, on the beat, every day.”
Premier Winde added: “LEAP are a critical component of the Western Cape Government’s efforts to halve the murder rate by 2029 through a combination of violence prevention and law enforcement initiatives. As part of our Provincial Safety Plan, 831 Law Enforcement Advancement Programme officers have been deployed to areas with the highest rate of murder in the province, with over 230 currently in training.”
Premier Winde continued: “We are also establishing Area Based Teams (ABT) in 16 priority areas as part of our plans to reduce the murder rate. These ABTs will co-ordinate all community violence prevention stakeholders. As of July 2021, the deployment hours of LEAP officers has been extended to 24/7, as part of a shift system. This means consistent visible policing in areas most impacted by violence. To date, 1005 Youth Safety Ambassadors have been placed for violence prevention interventions at schools, the SAPS, the Department of Health, municipalities, and Community Based Organisations.”
Minister Fritz said: “The cohort that we visited today are receiving their training at the Muizenberg Training College. Other training centres for LEAP include Cape Town stadium and Chrysalis Academy. Once deployed in December, we will have deployed approximately 1000 officers to our most crime affected communities. By the time they complete their training they will officially be Learner Law Enforcement Officers.”
Training received by the current cohort to date includes:
- Peace Officer and Traffic Warden training
- Firearm training
- Pepper Spray training
- Tonfa training
- Radio Procedure training
- Docket and Statements Training
- National Road Traffic Act
- Powers and Duties of a Peace Officer and Traffic Warden
- Complements and Saluting
- Tactical Street Survival
Minister Fritz added: “While 118 members have fully completed Peace Officer and Traffic Warden training as well as compliments and saluting, all of the trainees in this current group must still do tactical street survival training. The trainees are expected to complete their initial training by 17 December 2021, and we look forward to their deployment.”
LEAP officers deployed to the Western Cape are making tremendous strides in making our communities feel safer. Among their most recent successes was on 6 November 2021 at 11:38, LEAP officers were patrolling in Tywaka street in Brownsfarm, Philippi, conducting stop and search operations. They came across 2 suspicious males walking down the street.
The officers then stopped them to conduct a stop and search and 1 suspect started to run away. Officers chased the suspect and apprehended him. Upon searching him, they found 1 firearm, 1 magazine and 4 ammunition. The suspect was informed of his rights and he was transported to Nyanga SAPS.
Premier Winde concluded: “The Western Cape Government remains committed to working closely with partners in the safety sector, including the City of Cape Town and SAPS in the Western Cape, to ensure the safety of all our residents. We are making great progress in the rollout of the LEAP programme and I welcome the positive feedback received from communities and safety stakeholders, including station commanders. I want to thank each individual playing for their part, particularly our LEAP officers and those in training, for making this programme a success.”
