NEWS RELEASE                                                                             6 August 2003

CITY POLICE SERVICE ROLLS OUT AS 36 NEW OFFICERS MOVE INTO ATLANTIS

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The ongoing fight against crime in greater Cape Town took another step forward today with the official opening of a City Police Service office in Atlantis to be manned by 36 new officers.

 Another office will be opened in Milnerton on 1 September.

 From their new office in Saxonsea, the officers will work closely with the Atlantis community, and in co-operation with the South African Police Service, in a community plagued by poverty, crime and gangsterism.

 Officially opening the office, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Councillor David Erleigh, said the battle against crime was succeeding and would be won. He said there had been a marked reduction in crime in all areas where the City Police had been deployed.

 “The City Police Service was established in December 2001 with 300 recruits who operated in the Cape Town CBD,” said Councillor Erleigh. “Currently there are about 770 officers deployed throughout the greater metropole.”

 He said crime levels had fallen in many areas, such as the Cape Town CBD, Athlone, Gatesville, Claremont, Bellville, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Bonteheuwel, Bishop Lavis and Elsies River.

 Notable community projects in which the City Police have been involved are the Safer Schools Project, Safer Clinic Project, Pay Point Project (for pensions and grants) and Arrive Alive.

 Recruits to the City Police Service are given a six-month basic training course on policing, traffic and by-law enforcement, modern crime prevention strategies and human rights.

 Councillor Erleigh reiterated the City’s ongoing commitment to fight and beat crime.

 “The actions of the City Police are specifically community-centred,” he said. “Officers are specially trained in the principles of community policing to ensure that their conduct is at all times sensitive to community interests.”

CITY POLICE SERVICE ROLLS OUT AS 36 NEW OFFICERS MOVE INTO ATLANTIS

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Issued by                    Rosemary Hare, Mitchell, Wicomb Public Relations cc

                                    P O Box 12521

                                    MILL STREET

                                    8010

On behalf of               The City of Cape Town

                                    Private Bag X9181

                                    CAPE TOWN

                                    8000

For further information, please contact Debbie Bergsman at Rosemary Hare, Mitchell Wicomb Public Relations on (021) 465-1166 or 082 459 6227.