THE City of uMhlathuze is set to transform its traffic department into a formidable crime-fighting unit.
Reporting recently at the uThungulu District Crime Summit, Acting Manager: Public Safety & Security, Zolile Poswa, unpacked a bold five-year City of uMhlathuze Crime Prevention Strategy (CCPS) that proposes a holistic focus on law enforcement, crime prevention and urban management and design.
To this end, a specialised Crime Prevention Enforcement Unit (CPEU) is being established.
Adopting the national Safer Cities initiatives, ward-based visible traffic policing will focus on crime prevention, bylaw enforcement and traffic enforcement.
Resuscitation of the CCTV project, a revised bicycle security patrol programme and increased community participation will give enormous momentum to the anti-crime effort.
Poswa said the CCPS strategy will also address specific areas such as violent crimes, theft of municipal property, staff shortages, lack of training and stray animals.
He said his department’s vision was to strive to be ‘the best law enforcement agency in the province’.
‘Preventing crime is critical to making our communities safer,’ said Poswa.
‘The police alone cannot reduce crime, and local government has been identified by the Department of Safety & Security as the best partner for crime prevention, as crimes occur in specific local contexts.
‘For example, there is an undeniable relationship between crime and rapid urbanisation such as we have experienced in the City of uMhlathuze, and this impacts directly on the economy and society in general.
‘It has been proved that success in fighting high crime and violence levels comes from combining police strategies with innovative transport and public space upgrades.’
