No new police constables for Springs

This is despite 325 graduates being allocated to Ekurhuleni in December, which was the highest allocation in the province.

Colin Roy: “It’s not a good thing. We need to recruit as many officers as possible to get the crime rate down.”

The Springs Police Station will not be getting new constables.

This is despite 325 graduates being allocated to Ekurhuleni in December, which was the highest allocation in the province.

Gauteng police spokesperson Brig Mathapelo Peters last month said 1 434 newly trained constables would immediately be deployed to various stations and units across all five districts in the province.

Khasim Jabed: “I think people will become more scared and crime will become worse.”

All the district commissioners in the province would oversee the immediate deployment and settling in of the new members.

Five hundred and fourteen constables were set to report for duty at various units and police stations in the Johannesburg District, Tshwane 241, Sedibeng 184, and West Rand 170.

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Springs police spokesperson Capt Johannes Ramphora explained that allocation of members is done by the National Commissioner’s Office according to the Theoretical Human Resource Report that governs the Fixed Establishment.

Furthermore, Ramphora said the allocation of physical resources like vehicles are dealt with separately by the Provincial Supply Chain Management and does not go hand in hand with the allocation of members.

“Applications for vehicles are already done,” says Ramphora.

Barend van Heerden, Springs CPF exco-board chairperson, says the news of 325 constables being allocated to Ekurhuleni was initially welcomed as joyful news.

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“According to the SAPS stats for 2019, Springs is number 22 on the list of crime-ridden towns in Gauteng.

“With a population of approximately 300 000 or more in the Springs area, it came with a shock that not a single one was allocated to the Springs SAPS Station.

Jabulani Radebe: “It’s very bad because now people won’t be safe. They must apply laws to swap police forces with other cities.”

“It is frustrating because we all try so hard to make sure everyone is safe day and night.

“Springs is definitely short of at least six or eight constables, so yes, even though the station has the patrol vehicles available, there is not enough manpower to do the work.

“As the Springs CPF exco-board chairperson, I will not let this happen and I will try my best to get to the bottom of this,” says van Heerden.