Cape Town - Task teams are to be set up in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, to deal with youth gangs and unlicensed liquor outlets, the Western Cape community safety department said on Monday.
Community safety MEC Dan Plato said the task teams would be set up shortly, following the recommendations of the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry.
The commission handed over a 580-page report on policing and the relationship between residents and police officers at the end of last month.
Plato said representatives for the multi-sectoral youth gangs task team would be nominated soon.
“The Western Cape department of community safety will be a key partner here as they are the lead department tasked with the implementation of the provincial youth development strategy and have a number of structures already in place dealing specifically with youth safety and substance abuse.”
He said the justice department and police would also have an integral role.
The province would establish a task team to survey community attitudes to unlicensed liquor outlets to assist in policy formulation.
Plato said he would also convene a forum on vigilantism, as recommended.
Members would include local school principals, churches and religious institutions, police managers, researchers, community policing forums and non-government and community-based organisations.
“[They will] develop an integrated public education programme aimed at preventing vengeance attacks and killings.”
Plato welcomed provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer's support of the commission's findings and said he had faith in his ability to adopt and implement the recommendations.
The commission found there was a breakdown in relations between residents and police officers in the area, characterised by a significant level of distrust among residents.
The report listed 11 inefficient policing behaviours identified since premier Helen Zille established the commission two years ago.
Sapa