THE City is on a mission to make schools on the Cape Flats safer.
The School Resource Officers (SROs) programme launched in 2012 to combat violence and drug merts targeting kids outside of the school grounds.
Having started at just six schools, the initiative has grown in leaps and bounds.
The programme began the 2024 school year with 88 members deployed in and around 54 schools in the metropole. By the final term, the number had grown to 111.
According to the City, between January and October 2024, officers made seven arrests, issued 1 904 fines for various traffic and by-law transgressions, confiscated two firearms and nearly 4 000 units of dagga.
The number of dangerous items confiscated dropped from 2 866 in 2023, to 1 043 in 2024, courtesy of random searches, but also improved learner behaviour.
With the initiative making our schoolkids safer, the City is planning to add nine more schools to their roster and 18 additional officers, taking the overall total to 129 by July 2025.
Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says: “The SROs help tackle challenges in the school environment.
“A few years ago, we expanded the initiative to include patrols in areas around schools too, impacting community safety.
“Just this [last] week, our SROs responded to gunshots in Tafelsig, and not only found the suspect, but also recovered the firearm.
“Safety is, unfortunately, an ongoing challenge at our schools. And, while the SRO deployment makes a dent, it is not up to them alone.
“We call on teachers, parents and learners to work together so that our schools can be the safe spaces they are meant to be.”