1 500 JMPD cadets ready to serve the City before the end of the year
JOHANNESBURG – 1 500 Metro police cadets to be deployed in November.
Johannesburg City has announced that 1 500 Metro police cadets will be ready for deployment on city streets by November.
The City said the officers who are currently in training in Soweto and near Booysens, will serve at the frontline of the war against crime and by-law and traffic infringements, in an effort to restore the rule of law in Johannesburg.
Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said he was committed to building capacity within the Metro police. He conceded that the City’s law enforcement agency only has a fraction of the officers needed to properly police Joburg streets.
“When you consider this against the geographical area of Johannesburg, and the wide-ranging responsibilities of the JMPD, it is no wonder there has been a breakdown of the rule of law,” said Mashaba.
“Our residents need to see and feel a police presence, and criminals need to learn that Johannesburg will no longer be a soft target.”
The City said it is working to improve the effectiveness of Municipal Courts, with the prosecution success rate currently at 25 pe rcent, up from last year’s 4 per cent.
It added that the Metro police fines book has also been redesigned to align it to the magisterial district of Johannesburg.
“I am confident that, with these efforts, we will begin to see our municipal courts being kept busy, on a full-time basis, successfully prosecuting those who disregard our by-laws,” Mashaba said.
The Metro police cadets have just completed 12 months of physical activity training and traffic management qualifications, and are currently on a six months skills programme, conducted with the assistance of the South African Police Service.
According to a statement by the City, more than 1 500 cadets, who will pass out as constables by October, were recruited through a rigorous process in November 2017.
The acting head of the JMPD Academy, Mogomotsi Mashigo said the officers are trained to enforce the law in a professional way and to withstand the temptation to be corrupt.
“They understand that they represent the City of Joburg and their primary function is to serve the community and not their own interests,” said Mashigo.
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