MOTION SUBMITTED BY CLR KAREN MEYER ON DRUG UNIT SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL FOR COUNCIL MEETING OF 31 JULY 2008
“Motion submitted in terms of Section 18 of the Rules and orders of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality for consideration by Council on 31 July 2008
Council recognises the great importance of the Tshwane Metro Police Drug Unit and the important role that they played in the Tshwane Municipal area. Council also notes with appreciation the work done by the five officials in this unit under difficult circumstances in attending to a huge and growing problem in our city. Council also takes note of the excellent record of achievement of this unit.
Council further takes note of the closing of this unit during this month and the fact that the ASD system never stated the closing down of this unit. Council recognises the fact that this unit closed down without prior consultation or notification.
Council realises the important role this unit has to play as a total of 8 127 drug cases for 2007/08 alone were made in the Pretoria area which is a total of 25% of Gauteng. Council realises that an increase of 85% in drug use in Gauteng were recorded in the last year which shows the great need for such a specialised unit.
Council realises that as a municipality we have an obligation to do all we can to alleviate the fast growing problem of drug use in our city.
Council therefore resolves to immediately reinstate the Tshwane Metro Police Drug Unit with immediate effect to its former state”.
“Motion submitted in terms of Section 18 of the Rules and orders of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality for consideration by Council on 31 July 2008
Council recognises the great importance of the Tshwane Metro Police Drug Unit and the important role that they played in the Tshwane Municipal area. Council also notes with appreciation the work done by the five officials in this unit under difficult circumstances in attending to a huge and growing problem in our city. Council also takes note of the excellent record of achievement of this unit.
Council further takes note of the closing of this unit during this month and the fact that the ASD system never stated the closing down of this unit. Council recognises the fact that this unit closed down without prior consultation or notification.
Council realises the important role this unit has to play as a total of 8 127 drug cases for 2007/08 alone were made in the Pretoria area which is a total of 25% of Gauteng. Council realises that an increase of 85% in drug use in Gauteng were recorded in the last year which shows the great need for such a specialised unit.
Council realises that as a municipality we have an obligation to do all we can to alleviate the fast growing problem of drug use in our city.
Council therefore resolves to immediately reinstate the Tshwane Metro Police Drug Unit with immediate effect to its former state”.
REASONS FOR ABOVE MENTIONED MOTION:
1. Drugs are a social issue and cannot be addressed through enforcement only. It thus makes perfect sense to contain any aspect of drugs within the Social Crime Prevention component.
2. The Drug Unit has functioned within the Social Crime Prevention structure for about 5 years already. How can it now suddenly not be capacitated to handle such matters? This underlines the fact that Council seriously lacks sufficient planning.
3. The drug unit members were never consulted with and no negotiations ever took place. The Chief of Police (Msimang) and the members of the unit were in consultation on an ongoing basis and it was never the chief’s intention to incorporate this unit into Specialised Operations.
4. They were a specialised un-marked unit which is intelligence driven. Specialised Operations is a uniform operations unit which conduct general policing on an ad-hoc basis.
5. The minutes of the last Civilian Oversight Committee, chaired by the Speaker of the Council during June 2008, will show that it was confirmed by Deputy Cassie Coetzer, that the Drug Unit is to be placed on the Governance Section of the Department and will continue to function in its previous form and capacity.
6. It is true that the Drug Unit does not have sufficient resources, but: The Specialised Operations Canine & Equestrian Units have 32 posts but can only fill 18! The Specialised Operations Task Teams have 47 posts but can only fill 11! They do not have enough vehicles, offices or equipment to house the existing personnel. Are we going to close them down as well?
7. Official documentation will show that the said unit comprised of 5 specialised members who operated as a Unit have been split into two groups, comprising 2 members on one task team and 3 on another. This does not constitute a Unit but is clearly a disbanding and will result in a breakdown of capacity.
8. This is exactly what happened with SANAB and today there is not a single member left in the SAPS.
9. Gauteng’s total drug cases for 2007/08 stands on 12 348. This should show the importance and need for this unit.
10. The Unit, which is widely recognised for their contribution to the fight against drugs from local to international level, was the only recognised drug unit in the Country, with Cape Town in the process of establishing such a unit.
11.This move by the CTMM may negatively contribute to a major upsurge in drug and drug related crime and will not benefit the area in any way leading up to the 2010 World Cup.
12. 255 Arrest from this unit in one year by five members is a great achievement that should be recognised as one that can only be achieved by a full time unit.
13. Petitions which will be handed in today will show the commitment and need of the community to and for this unit.
COMPILED BY:
CLR KAREN MEYER
DA SPOKESPERSON ON COMMUNITY SAFETY
TSHWANE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
(MOBILE: 082 3737 662)
1. Drugs are a social issue and cannot be addressed through enforcement only. It thus makes perfect sense to contain any aspect of drugs within the Social Crime Prevention component.
2. The Drug Unit has functioned within the Social Crime Prevention structure for about 5 years already. How can it now suddenly not be capacitated to handle such matters? This underlines the fact that Council seriously lacks sufficient planning.
3. The drug unit members were never consulted with and no negotiations ever took place. The Chief of Police (Msimang) and the members of the unit were in consultation on an ongoing basis and it was never the chief’s intention to incorporate this unit into Specialised Operations.
4. They were a specialised un-marked unit which is intelligence driven. Specialised Operations is a uniform operations unit which conduct general policing on an ad-hoc basis.
5. The minutes of the last Civilian Oversight Committee, chaired by the Speaker of the Council during June 2008, will show that it was confirmed by Deputy Cassie Coetzer, that the Drug Unit is to be placed on the Governance Section of the Department and will continue to function in its previous form and capacity.
6. It is true that the Drug Unit does not have sufficient resources, but: The Specialised Operations Canine & Equestrian Units have 32 posts but can only fill 18! The Specialised Operations Task Teams have 47 posts but can only fill 11! They do not have enough vehicles, offices or equipment to house the existing personnel. Are we going to close them down as well?
7. Official documentation will show that the said unit comprised of 5 specialised members who operated as a Unit have been split into two groups, comprising 2 members on one task team and 3 on another. This does not constitute a Unit but is clearly a disbanding and will result in a breakdown of capacity.
8. This is exactly what happened with SANAB and today there is not a single member left in the SAPS.
9. Gauteng’s total drug cases for 2007/08 stands on 12 348. This should show the importance and need for this unit.
10. The Unit, which is widely recognised for their contribution to the fight against drugs from local to international level, was the only recognised drug unit in the Country, with Cape Town in the process of establishing such a unit.
11.This move by the CTMM may negatively contribute to a major upsurge in drug and drug related crime and will not benefit the area in any way leading up to the 2010 World Cup.
12. 255 Arrest from this unit in one year by five members is a great achievement that should be recognised as one that can only be achieved by a full time unit.
13. Petitions which will be handed in today will show the commitment and need of the community to and for this unit.
COMPILED BY:
CLR KAREN MEYER
DA SPOKESPERSON ON COMMUNITY SAFETY
TSHWANE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
(MOBILE: 082 3737 662)
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