Cape Town - The City’s Metro Police and Traffic Service recruits graduated on Thursday after a rigorous selection and training period that first started in January last year.
A graduation ceremony for 70 new recruits was hosted on Thursday. About 40 Metro Police officers and 30 traffic officers, as well as one Law Enforcement academy facilitator were in attendance.
The selected graduates were among 13 000 applicants who initially applied for the positions in 2016.
The candidates who passed a written assessment were then interviewed for final selection.
What followed was a 12-month Further Education and Training course in Road Traffic Law Enforcement.
The course included training in how to handle a firearm, conduct roadblocks and restraining techniques and agility.
The Metro Police trainees also had to partake in a 12-week Law Enforcement Skills Programme.
This section of the training included crime prevention, tactical street survival and how to deal with domestic violence, child victims and child offenders.
"They have pledged to serve and protect their communities and I urge them to lead by example in everything they do," said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.
The graduates will be drafted into the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Department and Cape Town Traffic Service.
Smith added that this graduation was an indication of the City of Cape Town's "commitment to building safer communities."
The graduation ceremony also saw ranks and certificates awarded to the City’s Metro Police Youth Cadets.
"The cadet programme is arguably one of our most exciting and successful social crime prevention initiatives. Not only have we helped shape more than 100 young leaders, but it has also highlighted the fact that the Metro Police Department is about so much more than just enforcement." said Alderman Smith.