THE City says provision has been made in the draft budget for an additional 222 Law Enforcement Facility Protection Officers (FPOs) for the Escort Service Unit to assist internal departments with the implementation of the City’s projects in high-risk areas.
Just over R100 million has been pencilled in, to be funded by the various Directorates, including Water and Sanitation, Energy, Urban Waste Management and Human Settlements.
Over a seven-month period between September 2024 and March 2025, the City’s Law Enforcement Department has facilitated 1 925 escorts to various service departments - an average of 275 per month.
“We’ve seen a continued increase in requests for safety escorts, as the statistics show. There is a direct correlation between the quality of services and areas considered red zones and it cuts across departments, from basic services to firefighting and even disaster assessments.
“While some of the threats are linked to the growing prevalence of extortion, others are purely acts of brazen opportunism. Our enforcement services are to be commended for their efforts under sometimes very difficult circumstances, but we need to augment our existing resources to better respond to the demand,” said mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith.
In May 2023, the City launched the FPO initiative, to protect staff, projects and City facilities particularly in crime hotspots.
The initial deployment included 81 Law Enforcement FPOs, however, the dramatic rise in requests for escorts resulted in the diversion of resources from day-to-day law enforcement functions to support the FPOs, the City said.
In a bid to steady the ship, and ease the load on Area Law Enforcement staff, provision has been made in the draft budget for an additional 222 FPO’s for the Escort Service Unit.
“The attacks on staff and City contractors are relentless, and include very serious crimes, including armed robbery, hijacking and sadly even murder. The toll on our enforcement services too should not be underestimated, particularly as there are so many competing demands on our time and resources. We call on residents to take an active interest in the safety of those bringing services to their communities – if you see or know something, speak up,” Smith said.
Incidents of crime can be reported to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700.
Alternatively, the public can share tips for a potential reward via the City’s 24-hour tip-off line on 0800 110 077.
Cape Times