The City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement volunteers were recently celebrated for their exemplary efforts to fight crime in the Central City and beyond, including CCID Safety & Security manager Muneeb “Mo” Hendricks, who also volunteers over and above his usual CCID duties.
The awardees form part of the City of Cape Town’s Auxiliary Law Enforcement Service, which was established in November 2013 and enables members of the public to help fight crime and assist with law enforcement duties in a voluntary capacity. Since 2013, the number of volunteers has grown from 16 to 529, says Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
To acknowledge the contribution of the volunteers, the City hosted a ceremony in early February, where awards were made in various categories. These included Outstanding Service, an award for bravery, Officer of the Year, Officer with the Most Fines, Team of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Officer with the Most Hours and long-service awards.
Commenting on his five-year long-service award, a proud Mo says that, for him and his fellow volunteers, it is not about the recognition but about "making a difference in our communities because evil prevails when good people do nothing".
“I am fortunate to have good health and a loving family and, for me, sacrificing my time to make the Central City and Cape Town as a whole a better place for everyone who makes this their home or place of business is my way of giving back. I would encourage others to consider getting involved in their communities as well," Mo says.
According to the City of Cape Town, all Auxiliary Law Enforcement Officers receive training at the Metro Police College in areas such the Criminal Procedure Act and other components applicable to their areas. They are required to report for duty for a minimum of 16 hours per month under the guidance of permanent Law Enforcement staff.
“Our Auxiliary Law Enforcement Officers have had their fair share of successes, from recovering drugs and stolen property to arresting dangerous criminals. The successes, of which there have been many, come from their passion and commitment to serving their communities and we thank them for their selfless dedication. The awards ceremony is a small token of appreciation for their efforts. It is also an opportunity to showcase the work they do in service to Cape Town and her residents," says Alderman Smith.
According to the City, between December 2018 and January 2019, the successes of Auxiliary volunteers included:
- Issuing 860 Section 341 fines;
- Issuing 163 Section 56 notices;
- Searching 220 suspects;
- Arresting 35 suspects on double warrants;
- Making 16 arrests on a range of charges including poaching, hijacking, rape, armed robbery and possession of drugs;
- Recovering a hijacked vehicle, 504 units of abalone, 120 units of drugs and R780 in cash.
A list of all the award recipients is available here: https://bit.ly/2TWYQpG
Image by City of Cape Town