The Gauteng provincial government has acquired 209 new vehicles for the police service in Gauteng. The vehicles were handed over to various Gauteng police stations and their specialised units on Wednesday 27 November.
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety said the vehicles represent a significant step towards addressing long standing challenges in the fight against crime and lawlessness in the province.
The Committee has consistently raised concerns about the detrimental impact of insufficient police vehicles on effective crime prevention and the ability of police to respond to crime incidents timeously.
The lack of adequate vehicles in police stations has often hindered their ability to be visible in communities, respond promptly to emergencies, and ensure the safety of Gauteng residents.
The Committee is of the view that the deployment of these 209 vehicles will undoubtedly enhance police visibility and operational capacity, allowing law enforcement to intensify their efforts to combat crime in high priority areas.
The Committee has urged the Gauteng Provincial Government, under the leadership of Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the South African Police Service in Gauteng, led by the Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, to ensure that the vehicles are strategically deployed where they are most needed and that regular maintenance is undertaken to avoid future shortages.
“In the last 18 months, SAPS received three helicopters, 700 new cars, 12 000 CCTV cameras, over 12 000 community police wardens and five mobile incident command centres to support their work to fight crime in the province. These resources have improved how we respond to crime and criminals and we are seeing the positive results,” Lesufi said at the handover.
“We have done everything possible to turn the tide of lack of resources. If I had my wishes I would publicly hand over rifles and guns to the police so that society will see that we mean business.
“Criminals must know, they must go somewhere else rather than take chances in Gauteng,” he said.
