Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Sibongile Manana announced her priorities for the first three months saying they will urgently respond to the complaints raised by communities during the past mobilisation campaigns.
MEC Manana said her department would establish two fully fledged 10111 Call Centres in Middleburg and White River. This follows complaints from the public that the number had not been easily accessible.
The MEC believes that the two Call Centres will assist the public to be able to report crime and expect speedy response from the police.
The MEC will also ensure that at least four Crime Combating Units are resuscitated in KwaMhlanga, Middleburg, Secunda and Hazyview. These Units will also undergo training on latest French Crowd Management techniques to be provided by the national department.
She added that the department will conduct a crime prevention operation to address serious and violent crimes at flash point areas.
She will also prioritizes stock theft especially in the areas of Mmametlhake and Bushbuckridge where communities had been complaining of this kind of crime.
In order to strengthen the capacity of South African Police Service to deal with crime, the MEC said at least 220 new members will be recruited.
They will be placed in the operational environment to ensure implementation of sector policing in the police stations.
Next week (Friday, 29 May 2009), the department will hold a School Safety Indaba to strategize the methods that needs to be employed when dealing with the escalating crime and violence in the schools. Crime at schools is posing a huge threat to government efforts to deliver quality education.
The Indaba is expected to mobilize and support existing structures on school safety.
Tourism Safety will be enhanced by the deployment of 250 Tourism Safety Monitors. The aim of the tourism safety is to create and ensure a safe environment for tourists visiting Mpumalanga.
She explained that tourism view points will now be deyermined by her department to ensure tourists safety.