On the Indaba Show this week, Reagen Allen, the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight, speaks about his role in tackling these problems in the province. Image: Supplied.
While the Western Cape is known for its stunning scenery and hospitality, it also has an unflattering reputation when it comes to gang violence and organised crime.
On the Indaba Show this week, Reagen Allen, the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight, speaks about his role in tackling these problems in the province.
Host of the show, Steven Taylor gets to know Allen a bit better.
Born in Mitchell’s Plain, Allen said he grew up with gang violence, drug abuse, and many in his area looked to gangsters as role models.
In April 2022, Allen was officially sworn in as Provincial Minister. He is also doing a post graduate course in leadership and governance with Wits University online.
“I’m a man from Mitchell's Plain. I also understand that this role is so much broader in the City of Cape Town, that we are needing to ensure that interventions in our districts are not forsaken,” he said.
Stepping into his position, he said he felt deeply honoured to have been entrusted to the role.
“I do not take it lightly. I want to also say that I'm working with amazing people and I'm always appreciative of stakeholders, especially those in the civil society, as well as the work that NGOs are doing, and the work that the religious fraternities are doing,” he said.
Allen said a collaborative effort is required to ensure the safety of communities.
“We are dependent on working with safety stakeholders. I'm asking Neighborhood Watch members to step up. I'm asking CPF members to step up. I'm asking the help from our dedicated South African police service members to step up because I know one person, one department is unable to do it alone.”
One of the strategies they are using to fight crime in areas where it is necessary is to employ Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers to strengthen crime-fighting efforts.
“From the Western Cape side, we have literally stepped up. We've put over 1 200 Leap officers into our difficult areas, our crime hotspots. Crime and murder is increasing in our country by 21%. In the last quarter, in areas where leap offices are deployed, we saw 8.2% reduction in crime and murder,” he said.
* This article was published first by Magic 828. See original article here.
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