Murder is up by 144%, attempted murder by 45%, carjackings by 9%, while rape remains unacceptably high. These figures are for the Alberton, Brakendowns and Eden Park police stations.
It is clear to everyone that having a highly centralised police service where recruitment, training, placement and monitoring are all conducted through the police headquarters in Pretoria is simply not working.
If it were, we would see a consistent and steady reduction in crime across the city and the country.
The countries that effectively manage to tackle crime are those where the police force is devolved to the lowest possible sphere of government.
What is needed is a rethink on how best we protect our citizens from crime. Undoubtedly the answer is through the devolution of the police force to provincial and metro levels.
Ekurhuleni should be able to take over the policing functions seated in Pretoria, because the best knowledge on the number of police offices needed, and the training and deployment of officers, exists at a local level.
The budget for this should be transferred to councils directly from the national government.
Crime differs from area to area, and we need a police service that is not only reactive but agile in its strategy to fight crime.
The National Policing Department should simply have an oversight role where they inspect police stations and training colleges to ensure that minimum standards are met and maintained.
Michael Waters, Member of Parliament 1999 – 2021
