Cape Town - Additional Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers have been deployed on a permanent basis to Mitchell’s Plain.
The deployment follows the recent surge in murders in Mitchell’s Plain and forms part of the Western Cape Safety Plan which aims to reduce violent and gang-related crimes and to halve the murder rate in the province over the next 10 years.
As of October 2020, LEAP officers were deployed to five communities - Philippi, Delft, Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Bishop Lavis.
The Community Safety department deployed officers to Mitchell’s Plain, and plans to deploy an additional 50 officers in the area soon.
MEC Albert Fritz said: “LEAP members have now been deployed permanently to Mitchell’s Plain to assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) to stabilise the recent increase in murders in the area.
“This makes Mitchell’s Plain the sixth area to receive LEAP deployments in the Cape Town Metropole. These officers will work in an integrated manner with SAPS.”
Fritz added: “Going forward, LEAP contingents will further be deployed to Harare, Mfuleni, Gugulethu and Kraaifontein. We are deploying LEAP officers to those communities as they have been identified as the most affected by violent crime.
“I am pleased to see the progress we are making since we launched the Western Cape Safety Plan on 19 September 2019, which is making our communities feel safer.”
The MEC said the Mitchell’s Plain contingent of law enforcement would be topped up with additional LEAP officers during the coming weeks.
“The top up is made possible through the appointment of additional law enforcement officers who will serve to bolster law enforcement and SAPS response to crime in Mitchells Plain.”
Between 22 and 28 February 2021, LEAP officers deployed to Philippi, Delft, Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Bishop Lavis have yielded the following results, conducting:
- 3983 person searches;
- 105 house searches;
- 492 vehicle check points and vehicle searches;
- 6 follow up visits to ensure shebeen closures;
- 78 inspections of on-consumption and off-consumption liquor premises;
- 147 autonomous, integrated and joint operations with SAPS.
LEAP officers made 82 arrests during the period under review, which included:
- 46 arrested for possession and dealing of drugs;
- 19 arrested for possession of dangerous weapons;
- 3 arrested for possession of illegal ammunition;
- 1 arrested for possession of an imitation firearm;
- 2 arrested for trading without a liquor license;
- 2 arrested for house breaking;
- 1 arrested for pointing a firearm; and
- 4 arrested for possession of presumed stolen property.
Fritz added: “I commend our officers on their sterling efforts which are leaving some of our most crime affected communities feeling safer.
“I also wish to commend SAPS for their support and for working collaboratively with our LEAP officers to ensure that we prevent crime and halve the murder rate in our province.”
Cape Argus