REK JOU BEK

MAYOR Geordin Hill-Lewis and City boss for safety and security JP Smith have called on mense to piemp criminals. 

Hill-Lewis and Smith held an awareness drive in the Mitchells Plain neighbourhoods of Beacon Valley and Tafelsig to encourage residents to report illegal firearms using the City’s Informant Reward System.

The Mayor said that they want to build the confidence of Cape Town residents to fight back against crime in their communities.

He added that locals can trust that their tip-offs will never endanger them. 

Hill-Lewis addressed the media saying the program aims to build up a network of informants in the city. 

He explained: “People can trust that we will keep their information absolutely confidential and secret, and who can tip us to where an illegal gun is being housed or kept or someone who might be dealing drugs. 

“And we absolutely guarantee that that will be kept to the strictest confidentiality. 
And if it leads to an arrest, that person will actually get rewarded for that. 

“So we're informing residents about that because the levels of gun violence are such that we have to rely on partnerships with the community to try and win this battle.”

The Mayor was joined on the streets by Smith, who says the Informant Reward System has been operating for over a decade.  

Smith explained: “During a walkabout of the gang hotspot along with Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis residents were reminded to make use of the City’s Informant Reward System to address the ongoing influx of illegal firearms into Cape Town. 

“The City's Safety and Security Directorate formulated the Informant Reward Policy in 2013.

“The concept is that a reward is payable to any person who provides information that leads to an arrest or the successful confiscation or recovery of illegal firearms, stolen goods or contraband.”

During the event, Grade R learners from Spine Educare Centre in Tafelsig had an eventful morning when members of the metro police K9 Unit conducted a search operation along with a K9 dog to show them how they use the dogs to recover firearms and drugs.

Members of the fire and rescue team educated kinders on what to do when there is a fire and also engaged in activities including holding a firehose and taking pics inside the fire truck.