Minister Reagen Allen Officially Sworn in | Western Cape Government

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Minister Reagen Allen Officially Sworn in

26 April 2022

Minister Reagen Allen Officially Sworn in as Western Cape Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight

Today, 26 April 2022, Mr. Reagen Ivan Allen was officially sworn in as the Western Cape Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight by Judge Mantame following his appointment by Premier Alan Winde on Friday.

At 37 years old, Minister Allen is no stranger to the portfolio as he served as the Chairperson of the Standing Committee of Community Safety and Cultural Affairs and Sport since June 2019 and a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from December 2018.

Minister Allen has and will continue to diligently serve his constituents and the greater Western Cape with the care, integrity, accountability, responsiveness, competence and innovation it requires.

Minister Allen said, “I am indeed honoured to have been entrusted with the appointment of the Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight and I have hit the ground running so that we can continue to realise the Western Cape Safety Plan, which aims to halve the murder rate in our province by 2029. Every person in our province deserves to feel safe in their communities and on their streets, no matter where they live. We are determined to work with all stakeholders, including the SAPS, local government and communities, to ensure that this important objective is realised.”

In the first 100 days in office, Minister Allen commits to proactive rather than reactive measures to create safer communities across the Western Cape and will:

  • Visit 30 police stations
  • Join 30 Neighbourhood Watch walkabouts
  • Participate in a number of Joint Crime Prevention Operations conducted by reaction units supported by the Department, inclusive of the K9 units and LEAP Programme
  • Strengthen the already established relationship with the SAPS Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant- General Patekile and station commanders in the province
  • Engage various safety partners and political parties to ascertain how best we can collaboratively combat crime and violence.       

Minister Allen continued: “We must, and we will continue to push for more policing resources in the Western Cape, especially in our poorer communities. It is not fair that the worst-affected areas have unacceptable police-to-population ratios. With this said, I know that the SAPS is working to address this, and I will work with them and their leadership so that this can be achieved as soon as possible. For our part, we will continue to ensure additional resources in our crime hotspots through our LEAP programme, which has already seen over 1000 officers deployed. I also want to upskill my department in terms of its data and evidence capabilities so that we can add exponential value to our pioneering LEAP programme. We will also focus on violence prevention initiatives, in partnership with the Department of Health and Wellness, because we need to prevent violence from taking place in the first place, and not just respond to it.”

Minister Allen: “I particularly want to stop gang violence in our province. My family and I are no stranger to the terror that gangs cause in some of our communities. We need an all-of-society response that stops this violence in its tracks.”

The Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, said: “To be the Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight is a challenging, but important role. In his duties, Minister Allen will need to hit the ground running – focusing on improving policing oversight so that we can ensure that residents in this province get the best possible service from our men and women in blue. I know Reagan to be a passionate individual, who cares deeply about the people of the Western Cape, and I am confident that he will add the energy into this portfolio that is needed to make a real change.”

As outlined by Premier Winde in the State of the Province Address, the Department intends to take its constitutionally mandated oversight role even more seriously, and not only at the national level, but at the local level as well because a Whole of Society and Whole of Government Approach is pivotal to creating safer communities. Going forward, the department will significantly expand its monitoring of police stations across the province, with a focus on GBV and domestic violence responses, police conduct, visible policing, and crime investigation efficiency.

Media Enquiries: 

Stacy McLean
Acting Spokesperson for the Ministry of Community Safety and Police Oversight
Stacy.McLean@westerncape.gov.za
Cell: 083 504 1171