LEAP operations 29 August – 4 September: Continues to make its impact felt

Between 29 August 2022 and 4 September 2022, Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers have achieved the arrest of 147 individuals for a variety of crimes. LEAP is an initiative of the Western Cape Government (WCG) and is run in partnership with the City of Cape Town.

In this same time period, LEAP officers have amongst others:

• Searched 6 612 persons
• Searched 244 houses
• Conducted 6 612 patrols in hotspot areas
• Conducted 186 roadblocks
• Searched 665 vehicles

Of the 147 persons that were arrested, 1 was for the possession of an illegal firearm, 3 for the possession of illegal ammunition, 1 for the possession of an imitation firearm, 112 for the possession of drugs and 9 for the possession of dangerous weapons. Confiscations and all other arrests occurred in the various areas where LEAP is deployed.

As LEAP officers work with a multitude of law enforcement agencies, they conducted 147 joint and Integrated operations with other City of Cape Town Law Enforcement Agencies and SAPS.

Minister Reagen Allen said: “These operations undertaken by LEAP are vital, as they are serving to reduce murders in key hotspots in the province. The 1st quarter crime stats of the 2022/23 financial year show how important LEAP is, as during this period, there has been an 8,2% reduction in the murder rate when compared to the same period of the 2021/22 financial year, at SAPS stations where LEAP officers are currently deployed. This shows how important it is to have the extra boots on the ground, as they ensure that extra visibility.” 

LEAP officers stem from the WCG’s Safety Plan, which was initiated in September 2019. The Safety Plan, which is the brainchild of Premier Alan Winde, came about as a result of the WCG’s commitment to address the high murder rate in the province. The primary aim is to reduce the murder rate by 50% by 2029. The Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town work in partnership to deliver LEAP.

These officers are deployed in a strategic, data-led and evidence-based manner to those locations where they can make the biggest difference in turning around negative crime statistics. This includes our top 10 murder areas in the Western Cape, such as Delft, Gugulethu, Harare, Khayelitsha (Site B policing precinct), Kraaifontein, Mfuleni, Mitchells Plain, Nyanga, Philippi East, and Samora Machel. Other high crime areas in which they are deployed are Atlantis, Bishop Lavis and Hanover Park, along with Lavender Hill, Steenberg and Grassy Park.

LEAP incorporates information from the WCG’s Safety Dashboard. This dashboard is providing real-time data to provincial safety stakeholders and helps identify exactly where the LEAP officers are most required. This strengthens our hand to anticipate where new hotspots may appear so that we can deploy the necessary resources to prevent crime and save lives. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data is set to be integrated with the Safety Dashboard, to provide us with a more complete picture of violence and trauma in the province, upon which we can launch our LEAP response.

Minister Reagen Allen added: “We want to manage SAPS in the same manner, and this is why we continue to call for the police to be devolved to a capable province and government such as ours. I urge the National Minister of Police, Bheki Cele to enact this, as the facts paint a clear picture. Under us, SAPS will once again become a service that residents trust wholeheartedly.”

“It’s critical that we all continue to play a role in creating a safer Western Cape. I urge all sectors of society to join us in the fight against crime, as neither LEAP, nor its partners in the City of Cape Town or SAPS alone would be able to achieve this,” concluded Minister Allen.