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The DA constituency head in Kannaland, Eleanore Bouw-Spies, has made a courtesy visit to the local police station in Calitzdorp. “What we found there comes as no surprise. Like police stations in Cape Town, Oudsthoorn, and other areas across the province, the Calitzdorp Police Station is under-resourced,” Bouw-Spies said.

Currently, the police station in Calitzdorp has three vehicles, and only one of these is their own (currently in for repairs) but the other two are borrowed from Oudtshoorn, who also suffers from under-resourcing. On top of this, senior police officials complained about staff shortages as well.

Bouw-Spies said, “This is not sustainable and we cannot expect that our people are safe when SAPS is not fully equipped to keep them safe.”

The DA also met with members of the Calitzdorp Community Police Forum (CPF), who are working hard to make the town safer for everyone. However, they also highlighted that the shortage of police vehicles and staff is a growing concern.

“We wish to thank the CPF for the hard work they are doing, but they need help,” said Bouw-Spies.

The DA in Kannaland commits to doing the following:
• Invite Western Cape Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight, Reagan Allen, as well as ministers from other relevant departments, to ensure that department officials are working together, in a coordinated manner, to combat crime.
• Establish a database of all organisations & institutions that does community upliftment programmes in the area and streamline their efforts in combatting crime.
• Ensure that SAPS offices are supported where necessary.
• Support the Calitzdorp Community Police Forum.

“Crime continues to be a major concern in the community and we will work hard to make Kannaland a safer place to live for all. The DA in Kannaland also supports the DA’s call to devolve policing powers to capable provinces. The DA-led Western Cape Government’s LEAP programme in Cape Town is an example of what we are capable of doing to make the province safer. Government needs to recognise this and devolve policing powers sooner rather than later,” Member of Parliament Bouw-Spies concluded.

Issued by Eleanore Bouw-Spies - DA Constituency Head, Kannaland