October 10, 2003
By Lucky Sindane
AN agreement, to be signed between the Johannesburg and Tshwane metro police forces, is set to make their law-enforcement tasks more efficient, allowing officers to assist one another across municipal boundaries.
The cooperation agreement is to be signed sometime soon by the Municipal Manager of Tshwane Renier du Toit and the City Manager of Johannesburg, Pascal Moloi.
Both the Johannesburg and Tshwane metro police departments have the same functions: policing road traffic; municipal by-law enforcement; and crime prevention.
The agreement will extend the jurisdiction of the two metro police departments, allowing the two police forces to assist one another across municipal boundaries.
"This collaboration will make a big difference in helping us fight crime," said Johannesburg director in the office of the chief of the metro police, Elwyn Pelser.
A similar agreement already exists between the Johannesburg metro police department and the South African Police Services, which has had a positive impact on the policing of the City, according to Pelser.
"When drawing up such agreements, we consider the effect on the residents of the City of Johannesburg," Pelser added. "The concerns of the residents will always come first." Metro police officers would not be deployed outside the city borders at the expense of the needs of the residents, he said.
Joint operations would include escorting VIPs during major events such as summits or funerals. Officers would be deployed to help maintain order, provided their own divisions were not left short-staffed.
Tshwane metro police's spokesperson from the legal support service, Francois Stander, expressed his satisfaction with the agreement. "When we need to enter Johannesburg in the course of our duties we now can," he said.
In the case of a major event in Johannesburg, like last year's world summit on sustainable development, the Tshwane metro police were asked to assist, but an agreement had to be drawn up beforehand. This would no longer be necessary, Stander said.
The pending cooperation agreement with Tshwane follows the signing of a similar document between the City of Johannesburg and neighbouring Ekhuruleni. "We are also considering signing agreements with Mogale City and Lekoa Vaal," said Johannesburg's Pelser.
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