Premier wants new policing plan for Gauteng

25 September 2014 - 20:02 By Lehlohonolo Tau
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David Makhura. File photo.
David Makhura. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Peter Mogaki

Gauteng Premier David Makhura accentuated the importance of accelerating crime prevention strategies and appealed for the police to receive additional training in a bid to combat crime in the province.

He was speaking at the Gauteng Safety Indaba in Germiston.

Makhura said there is an abundance of resources in the province and the provincial government will help to ensure civil society and other sectors of the community play a vital role in the frontlines of the fight against crime.

"We shall emerge here with rudiments of a new policing plan in Gauteng and have been communicating with the National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega to develop a crime prevention strategy," said the Premier.

He said the summit will bring about change and resources will be used optimally for the benefit of the people.

The other problem he said had to be urgently dealt with is to have separate units dealing with specialized crime like domestic violence.

"For the Province to have an accurate statistics, all these types of crimes have to be documented separately so that more energy and resources can be directed towards those crimes which are rampant," said Makhura.

He said the objectives of the Indaba are:

•             To enhance law enforcement strategy to effectively deal with crime
•             To have resources available when they are needed
•             To promote community involvement in crime prevention and
•             Develop anti-corruption and fraud strategy

DA’s shadow minister of Police Dianne Kohler Barnard said police should get adequate training first before being allowed to assume duties.

“It is unfathomable that 20 years after democracy, we still talk about training of the police. Some don’t have simple licenses and fail to go to a crime scene whereas others trample over the crime scene making it possible for criminals to walk free because of failure to come up with water-tight evidence," she said.

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