Tshwane Council Meeting 31 July - Community Safety

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”.

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)

DA calls for the immediate re-opening of the Metro Police’s Drug Unit

Press release: Ward Councillor Karen Meyer, DA Spokesperson: Community Safety and Emergency Services, Tshwane. 11 July 2008

It is with shock that the DA learned about the closure of the Tshwane Metro Police’s Drug Unit this week.

This unit is according to the DA the most productive and effective unit within the Metro Police. Only this year the unit, with only five members, made 255 arrests – an outstanding achievement!

In Pretoria alone there were 8127 drug cases for 2007/08 which represents 25% of the total drug cases in Gauteng.

The fact that these members with their specialist background and training in line with international standards, are deployed to the Crime Prevention Unit without any consultation or prior knowledge, is unacceptable.

The Council is blaming the new ASD system, but the DA believes we were all mislead by the ANC because there was no indication regarding the closure of the Unit.

This unit would have launched a project in June to address heroin and cannabis problems at schools in Atteridgeville where up to 25 % (2500) of the learners are already addicted to drugs. Due to insufficient resources the project was cancelled that compelled the learners to hold a march on the 20th of June where the mayor was present.
We are clearly faced with a crisis that cannot be ignored. Even more shocking is the ANC’s and the Metro Council’s inability to give guidance and vision in this regard.

Less than two months ago the Council approved an amendment by the DA that the Metro Police purchase effective drug tests and report back on the success to Council within six months. This and the fact that two members of the drug unit has just returned from a course presented by the French government, underline the fact that the Council seriously lacks sufficient planning.

The DA cannot allow that this Division close its doors due to unprofessional management. The DA will therefore submit a motion at this month’s Council meeting insisting on the re-opening of the Unit.

Councillor Karen Meyer
DA Spokesperson: Community Safety and Emergency Services
Tshwane Metro Council
082 373 7662

DA eis die onmiddelike heropening van die Tshwane Metropolisie se dwelm eenheid!

Persverklaring: Wyksraadslid Karen Meyer, DA Woordvoerder: Gemeenskapsveiligheid en Nooddienste, Tshwane. 11 Julie 2008

Die DA is uiters geskok met die nuus dat die Tshwane Metropolisie Dwelmeenheid se deure hierdie week gesluit is.

Hierdie divisie is volgens die DA die produktiefste en mees effektiefste eenheid binne die Metropolisie. Hierdie eenheid, met slegs vyf lede, het hierdie jaar reeds 255 arrestasie gemaak, ‘n ongelooflike prestasie.

Slegs in Pretoria alleen wys ‘n totaal van 8 127 dwelmsake vir die 2007/08 jaar wat 25% van Gauteng se totaal is. In die laaste jaar alleen is ‘n toename van 85% in Gauteng aangeteken.

Die feit dat hierdie lede met hul spesialiteitsagtergrond en opleiding van internasionale standaarde nou opgedeel en herontplooi is na die Misdaadvoorkomings eenheid sonder enige konsultasie of vooraf kennis, is eenvoudig onaanvaarbaar! Die nuwe ASD sisteem kry volgens die raad amptelik die skuld, maar die DA glo ons is almal mislei deur die ANC aangesien daar geen aanduiding was dat hierdie eenheid sou sluit nie!

Hierdie eenheid sou ‘n projek in Junie geloods het om die heroien en dagga probleem by skole in Atteridgeville aan te spreek waar tot 20% (2 500) van die leerlinge reeds verslaaf is aan dwelms. As gevolg van ‘n tekort aan hulpbronne moes die projek gekanselleer word wat die skoolkinders genoop het om ‘n optog op 20 Junie te hou waar die Burgemeester teenwoordig was.

Ons sit met ‘n ernstige krisis wat nie geignoreer kan word nie. Meer skokkend egter is die ANC en Tshwane Metroraad se onvermoë om die nodige leiding en die nodige visie te gee.

Die raad het minder as twee maande gelede ‘n amendament van die DA goedgekeur dat die Metropolisie effektiewe dwelmtoetse moet aankoop en die sukses daarvan binne ses maande aan die raad rapporteer. Dit en die feit dat twee van die dwelmeenheid se lede so pas terug is van ‘n dwelmkursus wat die Franse regering aangebied het, wys dat die raad self nie behoorlike beplanning aan die dag lê nie!

Die DA kan nie toelaat dat hierdie divisie sy deure sluit as gevolg van onprofessionele bestuur nie en sal by hierdie maand se raadsvergadering ‘n mosie indien waarop ons gaan aandring op die heroopmaak van hierdie eenheid!

Raadslid Karen Meyer
DA Woordvoerder: Gemeenskapsveiligheid en Nooddienste
Tshwane Metroraad
Kontaknommer: 082 373 7662