Premier Panyaza Lesufi on the pass out of Crime Prevention Wardens
28 April 2023
Following the commitment, we made when we took Office in October 2022, to fight crime, lawlessness, and vandalism in our province. This became an apex priority for the provincial government. As such, we commitment to unleash all the resources at our disposal to tackle crime. We also looked at ways to augment the crime-fighting efforts of law enforcement officers across Gauteng whilst tackling the issue of youth unemployment in the province. This led to the establishment of the Crime Prevention Wardens initiative.
The recruitment drive attracted 21 000 applications from across the five regions. After careful evaluation, 10 650 applicants were shortlisted for the next stage. This rigorous process produced 6 000 dynamic and physically adept young people, who have undergone intensive training over the last three months.
Today is the culmination of that training and the deployment of these wardens to the various hotspot areas in Gauteng, which include townships, informal settlements, and hostels to ensure the safety and security of residents in the province. Starting on 1 May 2023, the first cohort, consisting of 3 200 wardens, will begin patrolling the streets. The second cohort, is scheduled to complete their programme at the end of May.
Use of E-policing in the fight against crime