Yesterday, City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate gained 70 new recruits - 40 Metro Police officers and 30 traffic officers, as well as one Law Enforcement academy facilitator.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith, capped the new cops along with 125 cadets at the Wittebome Civic Centre in Wynberg.
Smith says of the 13 000 applicants in 2016, the “cream of the crop” have now graduated and will be hitting the streets soon.
“This is a very special day. I want them to savour the moment, having made it to the top of the pile of thousands of applicants. The uniform comes with great responsibility and I urge them to lead by example in everything they do,” said Smith.
The graduates will join the Metropolitan Police Department and Cape Town Traffic Service.
The graduation ceremony also saw ranks and certificates awarded to the City’s Metro Police Youth Cadets.
The programme has 125 registered cadets - 59 girls and 66 boys who were selected from 37 schools that participated in the Metro Police youth camps.
The programme launched in 2014 and aims to equip participants with advanced life skills.
“The cadet programme is arguably one of our most exciting and successful social crime prevention initiatives. Not only have we helped shape more than 100 young leaders, but it has also highlighted the fact that the Metro Police Department is about so much more than just enforcement,” said Alderman Smith.