Buffalo City is forging ahead with plans for a fully fledged metro police force.
The division, which will see the city having its own holding cells and court to enforce its by-laws, will employ 84 more law enforcement officers – for a start – to enable officers to guard residents and visitors 24 hours a day.
A progress report on plans to hire the 84 recruits was tabled at a council meeting at Abbotsford Christian Centre on Wednesday.
The council adopted the plan to merge law enforcement and traffic services and turn them into metro police in 2011, when BCM became a metro.
An application for the establishment of the fully fledged policing unit was first submitted to safety and liaison MEC Sauls-August in August 2012.
After consultation with stakeholders on the plan, former BCM mayor Zukiswa Ncitha had sought approval.
Council chief whip Mzwandile Vaaibom said once Sauls-August signed on the dotted line it was all systems go.
“If you check, currently these law enforcement officers have powers just to enforce by-laws, but they have no powers to charge anyone criminally.
“We want to address this gap as soon as possible by establishing metro police,” said Vaaibom.
The Daily Dispatch has reported several times on spiralling illegal land invasions across the city.
“With all the rising crime statistics, it’s important for the metro to have a fully fledged metro police who will have their own holding cells and a court.
“These officers will be able to charge offenders like any police officers and thereby ensure that there is law and order in our city,” said Vaaibom.
He said the unit would work with SAPS officers, and in the process reduce the workload for SAPS.
“Only the concurrence of the MEC stands in the way now. If the MEC can sign by the end of this year, definitely when we come back in January as this council, we will establish BCM’s metro police,” said Vaaibom.
The progress report tabled at the meeting reveals that when the metro police division is established, the department of public safety will be split into two – emergency services and public safety and protection services – under the control of one general manager.
The chief of police will be a Section 57 post, a director position appointed by council.
Speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele announced that the metro’s new organogram would be reviewed at a December 8 council meeting. Vaaibom said a detailed progress report would allow council to take the metro police structure into consideration in the new organogram. — zineg@dispatch.co.za
BCM to beef up police force
The division, which will see the city having its own holding cells and court to enforce its by-laws, will employ 84 more law enforcement officers – for a start – to enable officers to guard residents and visitors 24 hours a day.
A progress report on plans to hire the 84 recruits was tabled at a council meeting at Abbotsford Christian Centre on Wednesday.
The council adopted the plan to merge law enforcement and traffic services and turn them into metro police in 2011, when BCM became a metro.
An application for the establishment of the fully fledged policing unit was first submitted to safety and liaison MEC Sauls-August in August 2012.
After consultation with stakeholders on the plan, former BCM mayor Zukiswa Ncitha had sought approval.
Council chief whip Mzwandile Vaaibom said once Sauls-August signed on the dotted line it was all systems go.
“If you check, currently these law enforcement officers have powers just to enforce by-laws, but they have no powers to charge anyone criminally.
“We want to address this gap as soon as possible by establishing metro police,” said Vaaibom.
The Daily Dispatch has reported several times on spiralling illegal land invasions across the city.
“With all the rising crime statistics, it’s important for the metro to have a fully fledged metro police who will have their own holding cells and a court.
“These officers will be able to charge offenders like any police officers and thereby ensure that there is law and order in our city,” said Vaaibom.
He said the unit would work with SAPS officers, and in the process reduce the workload for SAPS.
“Only the concurrence of the MEC stands in the way now. If the MEC can sign by the end of this year, definitely when we come back in January as this council, we will establish BCM’s metro police,” said Vaaibom.
The progress report tabled at the meeting reveals that when the metro police division is established, the department of public safety will be split into two – emergency services and public safety and protection services – under the control of one general manager.
The chief of police will be a Section 57 post, a director position appointed by council.
Speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele announced that the metro’s new organogram would be reviewed at a December 8 council meeting. Vaaibom said a detailed progress report would allow council to take the metro police structure into consideration in the new organogram. — zineg@dispatch.co.za
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