Cape Town – Inadequate buildings and staff shortages were some of the issues Deputy Police Minister Maggie Sotyu was faced with during a visit to a number of police stations around Cape Town.
She first visited Somerset West police station, where she held a closed briefing with the police, and then went to see the operations at Lwandle police station before heading to Lingelethu West.
“I did not initiate these visits – they came after the communities raised issues about the police stations they reported in,” she said.
Lwandle station commander Lieutenant-Colonel Siviwe Somtsewu said the police station was too small. Somtsewu also said they did not have enough personnel.
The space issue was raised by Lingelethu West station commander Colonel Fana Dlamini.
He said they didn’t even have a parking space for their vehicles and that they had to transfer their detainees to other police stations, and that they were leasing the land from the City of Cape Town.
Ward 92 councillor Xolisa Peter said there was enough land around the current police station that could be bought to build a new police station.
Sotyu said she did not have a problem buying it if it was available.
After her visits, Sotyu and stakeholders discussed the visibility of police in communities; service delivery; infrastructure and human resources at police stations.
Other matters discussed were detection, investigation and conviction of criminal cases; domestic violence, rape and molestation in schools; gangsterism and illicit drug and mob justice and taxi violence.
Sotyu said after the recent release of crime statistics, she was encouraged to see that some crimes had decreased in the Western Cape, but that without resources, police would not be able to do their jobs.
“I’m not happy with the investigations – it is my first task to make sure we get resources that investigations need,” said Sotyu.
She said they needed to focus on detectives when recruiting.
“Arrests alone are meaningless without convictions and they depend on investigation,” said Sotyu.