Minister Fritz calls on province to make use of the WCPO

The Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, calls on residents to make use of the Western Cape Police Ombudsman’s (WCPO) services for the purposes of reporting policing inefficiencies and a breakdown in trust between communities and their respective stations.

The Office reports that during the previous financial year they received in excess of 700 complaints, making it their highest amount received per year, since the inception of their office. 

Minister Fritz said, “I encourage all members of the public to make use of this important institution, should there be a need. The WCPO is an independent organisation which can assist you in lodging complaints relating to allegations of poor service delivery received from SAPS in the Western Cape. It is guided by its vision to make the Western Cape a society where there is mutual respect and trust between the people and the police.”

The office was established following the enactment of the Western Cape Community Safety Act of 2013. The legal authority for its establishment is to be found in Chapter 11 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa particularly sections 206(3) & (5) read with schedule 4 of the Constitution on “Functional areas of concurrent national and provincial legislative competence”.

To contact the WCPO, you can:

Call: +27 (0)21 483 0669 Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) 7am to 4pm

E-mail: ombudsman@wcpo.gov.za

Visit: 6th Floor, 80 St. Georges Mall, Cape Town, 8001, Waldorf Building

Website: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/police-ombudsman/­