Cape Town - On Wednesday, Reagan Ivan Allen was officially sworn in to the Western Cape provincial cabinet as MEC of community safety and police oversight.
This follows his appointment last Friday by Premier Alan Winde.
Allen, 33, has served as chairperson of the Standing Committee of Community Safety and Cultural Affairs and Sport since June 2019 and as a member of the provincial parliament since December 2018.
“I am honoured to have been entrusted with the appointment of the Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Police Oversight and I have hit the ground running so that we can continue to realise the Western Cape Safety Plan, which aims to halve the murder rate in our province by 2029.
“Every person in our province deserves to feel safe in their communities and on their streets, no matter where they live. We are determined to work with all stakeholders, including the SAPS, local government and communities, to ensure that this important objective is realised,” Allen said.
Allen commits to proactive rather than reactive measures to create safer communities across the Western Cape and in his first 100 days committed to visiting 30 police stations, join 30 neighbourhood watch walkabouts, and participate in a number of joint crime prevention operations conducted by reaction units supported by his department.
He also committed to strengthen the relationship between the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, and station commanders in the province and engage various safety partners and political parties to ascertain how best to collaboratively combat crime and violence.
“We must, and we will continue to, push for more policing resources in the Western Cape, especially in our poorer communities. It is not fair that the worst-affected areas have unacceptable police-to-population ratios. With this said, I know that the SAPS is working to address this, and I will work with them and their leadership so that this can be achieved as soon as possible.
“For our part, we will continue to ensure additional resources in our crime hot spots through our Leap ( Law Enforcement Advancement Plan) programme, which has already seen over 1 000 officers deployed.
“I also want to upskill my department in terms of its data and evidence capabilities so that we can add exponential value to our pioneering Leap programme,” Allen said.
He said there would be a focus on violence prevention initiatives in partnership with the department of health and wellness.
Allen said he is determined to root out gang violence.
“My family and I are no stranger to the terror that gangs cause in some of our communities. We need an all-of-society response that stops this violence in its tracks,” he said.
Congratulating him, Winde said while Allen’s department was challenging, it was an important role and he would need to hit the ground running – focusing on improving policing oversight to ensure residents in the province receive the best possible service from police officials.
“I know Reagan to be a passionate individual who cares deeply about the people of the Western Cape, and I am confident that he will add the energy into this portfolio that is needed to make a real change,” Winde added.
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