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Prioritising of new Bethelsdorp police station welcomed

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Dear MyPE

I welcome the fact that a new police station in Bethelsdorp, Port Elizabeth is a “very high priority” for the South African Police Service, but timeframes must be set for its construction.

SAPS should put their money where their mouth is and show the people of Bethelsdorp that an additional police station in the area is truly a priority, by ensuring that it is put on a budget and construction begins.

There needs to be a greater sense of urgency and progress in this matter. The DA wants to see the gangsters and drug dealers nailed and jailed.

The establishment of an additional police station is vital within the context of integrated human settlements, as I pointed out in a Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) meeting last week.

Integrated human settlements are necessary, otherwise those in the immediate community, face social disintegration.

One cannot construct thousands of houses in the Chatty area without the establishment of clinics, community facilities, schools and an additional police station.

It is a known fact that the Bethelsdorp policing area is battling with a disproportionately high crime rate, recording the highest number of calls made to 10111 for a policing precinct across the entire province.

Having additional policing resources is critical in this area, not only to improve access for communities but also to ensure that the streets are safe for children to play in and where women can walk freely without fear.

I will continue to fight for progress in this regard and will liaise with my colleagues; Mayoral Executive Member for Safety, John Best, and the DA Shadow Minister for Police, Zakhele Mbhele.

Together, we will continue to put pressure on the SAPS to get this project moving.

The war on crime in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth needs to be won, and this new police station is a key weapon in the arsenal required to make this happen.

Regards

Bobby Stevenson

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Port Elizabethan

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