After more than a decade on the beat in central Cape Town, the City Community Patrol Board must cease its activities by Friday, according to the South African Police Service.
However, there was unhappiness with the closure of the rent-a-cops, as they were commonly known, with 70 employees not absorbed into the police.
According to Andy Miller, the provincial secretary of the South African Police Union, the closure of the legal entity bodes ill for policing in affected areas where the rent-a-cops patrolled.
”The police are always appealing for help against the fight against crime… but now they act in a high-handed manner which is not in anyone’s interests,” said Miller on Thursday.
Miller said the 70 rent-a-cops, who are all police reservists, currently patrolled the central business district, Cape Town train station, Sea Point and other areas.
He said the board created jobs for unemployed reservists, helped reduce crime and cemented police and business partnerships.
According to Chris Joubert, chairperson of the City Community Patrol Board, businesses had set up a fund to pay the salaries of the reservists. This had the approval of the provincial government, the board and SAPS at national level.
”We have supplied about 700 police members in the 10 years we operated. We augmented the police force,” said Joubert.
Joubert said they had discussed the disbanding of the board with the SAPS over the last few months, and it was agreed it would be phased out by June 30.
However, Joubert said assurances were given that everybody would be accommodated in the police.
Joubert said they would consult labour lawyers later on Thursday about the future of the reservists.
Joubert also wanted to know why the board, a registered legal entity, had to close when ”hundreds” of police reservists paid by the private sector in areas such as Stellenbosch, Helderberg and Blouberg, were allowed to continue.
A man integrally involved with Stellenbosch Watch, who did not want to be identified, said if their community patrol closed down it would have ”catastrophic” implications.
The former policeman predicted that all crimes, including violent crime, would immediately increase. Attempts to get police comment before publishing were futile. – Sapa