Reagen Allen officially sworn in as the Western Cape’s Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC

Reagen Ivan Allen was officially sworn in as the Western Cape’s Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC by Judge Mantame on Tuesday, following his appointment by Premier Alan Winde on Friday.

37-year-old, Allen, previously 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.

Allen says he will continue to pursue the Western Cape’s Safety Plan, which aims to halve the murder rate in the province by 2029.

“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, Allen says he will focus on creating 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.

 

Allen says he will push for more policing resources in the province, especially in the 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,” he added.

Allen says combatting gangsterism is also on his agenda.

“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.”

Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, congratulated Allen.

“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.’’

‘’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,’’ added Winde.

 

PICTURE: WCG - 

Reagen Ivan Allen being sworn in as the Western Cape’s Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC by Judge Mantame 

Done By: Mitchum George