North West MEC for Public Safety, Howard Yawa has committed his department to involving communities in determining policing priorities in their areas.
MEC Yawa made the undertaking during the presentation of his 2010/11 departmental policy statement and budget speech in the provincial legislature on Thursday.
To achieve this, MEC Yawa said that his department will conduct workshops in policing clusters together with the provincial Community Policing Board to empower communities on the process.
In giving an account of monitoring of service delivery, MEC Yawa reported that he had together with officials from his department paid 76 unannounced visits to police stations during weekends and at night for monitoring instead of the 48 which were planned; they surpassed the target by 28 visits.
Yawa's overall impression is that though there is improvement at most police stations during weekends and at night, some still need a shake up. The department concluded 66, i.e. 70 percent, of the 106 service delivery complaints it has received against the police and are in the process of investigation of outstanding ones.
The department will be appointing three complaints investigators to add to its investigative capacity towards in order conclude investigations speedily.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 381 9171
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 381 9123
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za.
