Ramaphosa's visit to Johannesburg last month, which included a stop in Braamfontein, left him concerned about the state of the city as it will host the G20 summit later this year. He, however, applauded visible policing on the ground that night.
“It was late at night and I found there was no criminal activity because the JMPD was in place,” he said. “They were visible, they were there and they were not threatening. They were well-positioned to make sure criminality does not take place and that is what we want to see.”
The president stressed visibility and presence are key elements in deterring crime, highlighting government efforts to boost the number of police officers.
“It is important that our presence as police should be seen. I know you need more numbers and that is why in the past two state of the nation addresses we committed to increasing the number of police,” Ramaphosa said.
“I’m glad to see even our metros are increasing the number of traffic officers and municipal police. In Gauteng you’ve also taken on safety wardens, crime wardens, and I’ve been seeing them.”
Ramaphosa called for the integration of modern technology into law enforcement to strengthen crime prevention efforts.
TimesLIVE
LISTEN | Ramaphosa says Joburg was crime-free during his late-night visit
President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised Johannesburg’s visible policing, saying the city was crime-free during a recent late-night walkabout.
This is despite Johannesburg consistently ranking among the most dangerous cities in the country and on the continent.
“I visited Johannesburg one night and found the Johannesburg metro police department [JMPD] was patrolling the city in the most impressive way,” Ramaphosa said. “I realised that for us to have safe cities we need the presence of the police to deter criminality.”
Ramaphosa was delivering the opening address at the national police summit on Tuesday at Emperors Palace Convention Centre in Gauteng. The summit, themed “Efficiency in Action: Optimising South Africa's Policing Potential”, seeks to tackle the high crime levels by reviewing policing strategies and embracing innovation.
Listen to the president:
Ramaphosa's visit to Johannesburg last month, which included a stop in Braamfontein, left him concerned about the state of the city as it will host the G20 summit later this year. He, however, applauded visible policing on the ground that night.
“It was late at night and I found there was no criminal activity because the JMPD was in place,” he said. “They were visible, they were there and they were not threatening. They were well-positioned to make sure criminality does not take place and that is what we want to see.”
The president stressed visibility and presence are key elements in deterring crime, highlighting government efforts to boost the number of police officers.
“It is important that our presence as police should be seen. I know you need more numbers and that is why in the past two state of the nation addresses we committed to increasing the number of police,” Ramaphosa said.
“I’m glad to see even our metros are increasing the number of traffic officers and municipal police. In Gauteng you’ve also taken on safety wardens, crime wardens, and I’ve been seeing them.”
Ramaphosa called for the integration of modern technology into law enforcement to strengthen crime prevention efforts.
TimesLIVE
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