Crime-fighting got a boost with the appointment of 10 new auxiliary law enforcement inspectors.
The inspectors received their badges during an official ceremony at the Metro Police Training College in Observatory on Friday November 12.
The Law Enforcement Auxiliary Volunteer initiative was first launched five years ago to get more boots on the ground in the metro.
Members of the public can register as volunteers to perform and assist with law enforcement duties.
In November 2013, the first batch of 16 volunteers was deployed after undergoing training at the Metro Police College.
JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security and social services, thanked the inspectors for their patience and for staying the course, saying it had been a long journey.
Mr Smith said there would be an additional intake of 280 officers this year.
Shaun Graham-Smith, deputy chief of auxiliary and special funded projects, said they had 452 auxiliary officers who put in an about 16 hours a month. The auxiliary inspectors will act as first-line supervisors, after completing training in a number of facets including human resources procedures, City policies and the Criminal Procedure Act. Until now, the volunteer law enforcement officers have performed their duties under the supervision of permanent staff, but the training and appointment of the auxiliary law enforcement inspectors means that first-line supervisors can now be chosen from within their own ranks.
Some of the auxiliary officers have been trained in special skills and are deployed to specialised enforcement units such as to the Marine Unit that deals with the poaching of marine resources.
“We are extremely fortunate to have such a strong culture of volunteerism in Cape Town. Apart from our law enforcement volunteers, we also have an equally strong and dedicated corps in our disaster risk management department. They do this without reward and the only incentive is to help build safer communities. They are to be commended and I hope that their commitment will spur on others to follow suit,” said Mr Smith.
