Rural Safety Unit provide extra boots on the ground for greater safety

Rural Safety Unit provide extra boots on the ground for greater safety across Overberg District.

Today, Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, officially launched the Overstrand Rural Safety Unit (ORSU) in Hermanus.

The process to get ORSU, up and running commenced in 2021. Since then, the Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety has invested just over R9 million in this unit. The ORSU, which consists of 20 members is based in the Overstrand Municipality and works throughout the entire Overberg district to ensure greater safety is achieved for all communities in the wider area, where both human and marine life can be protected. For the 2023/24 financial year, a further R9.5 million has been set aside for both the Swartland and Overstrand Rural Safety Units.

Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde said: “To make a meaningful impact in reducing crime, particularly violent offences, we need to establish and deploy more resources to every corner of our province, from cities and towns to rural areas. The Western Cape Safety Plan guides all our efforts to make our communities safer through an innovative approach, based on data and evidence. This unit is a critical force multiplier, providing safety and peace of mind to communities in the Overberg region.”

Minister Reagen Allen said: “The official launch of this unit shows the communities of the Overberg that we want to ensure greater safety throughout their entire area. We are fully invested in working throughout the province. Our mandate from the WCSP states clearly that we have to reduce the murder rate by 50% by 2029. This unit has a significant role to play in this regard, as it will undoubtedly assist in achieving our objective.”

“Not only will this unit strengthen the work that the South African Police Service (SAPS) is doing, but it will be of great significance to the already established K-9 units which is also in the area. This official launch also makes it so much easier for greater collaboration with the neighbourhood watches and community policing forums (CPFs) across the district. I urge the broader community to work with this unit and all other law enforcement agencies, so that criminal activities can be removed from our areas,” concluded Minister Reagen Allen.