Cape Town - Western Cape police management has blamed a decrease in staffing levels to 18 867 - 10% below the national Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) standard of 98% during the 2021/22 financial year - on the government's compensation budget.
According to the police, cuts of over R300 billion to the compensation budget have affected the organisation's ability to recruit members for basic policing functions.
Deputy Provincial Police Commissioner, Mpumelelo Manci, joined by other senior management officials, appeared before the Standing Committee on Safety at the Western Cape Legislature on Tuesday.
They were responding to a 2021/22 Policing Needs and Priorities (PNP) Report which the provincial Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety tabled last month.
The report claimed there was chronic under-staffing in the service; a provincial police-to-population rate of 1:417; and the case load for detectives averaging over 200 dockets per person.
“The successive decrease of the province’s staffing levels culminated at the end of 2021/22 to 18 867, or 88%, which was 10% below the MTSF standard of 98%.
“The decrease is attributed to the following: The reduction of the government’s Compensation Budget for the MTSF of over R300bn, which in turn affected the department’s plan to recruit members for basic policing functions.
“There was no intake and/or training of entry level constables during the National State of Disaster for Covid-19, due to the restrictions on movement and gathering of persons,” he said.
According to the police report, vehicle availability in the province was about 87%. It said in-house repairs remained a priority in order to increase the turnaround times and reduce expenditure.
Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagen Allen welcomed the police presentation, saying they would ensure engagements and discussions between his department and police management continued.
“I think it’s very clear that when we consider the initial remarks of R300bn affecting human resource requirements within our country and province.
“We are hoping that all those vehicles that have been ordered for this financial year will be delivered by March 31 because as of November it was only 14% that was delivered.
“Our policing needs and priority are not only directed to SAPS but also the City and all government departments.
“We all have our roles to play.
“For example, street lights are the mandate of the City rather than police.”
DA MPL Deidré Baartman said she noted that the presentation showed there was no culture in the SAPS that promoted corruption.
EFF MPL Aishah Cassiem said the issues of gangs was a major challenge in the Western Cape, but detectives and other units to deal with this were under-resourced.
Last month during the provincial crime statistic update in Mfuleni, Western Cape commissioner Thembisile Patekile conceded there was a shortage of staff at the anti-gang unit, and said this was currently a priority for the SAPS.
“To address such shortages as the state, we are looking at the intelligence we have received, and the province is also expecting additional police officers that will come in and start training on April 1. Gang violence is one of our priorities in this province,” he said.
Cape Times