MyPE

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State-of-the-art Aberdeen police offices unusable

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Dear MyPE

A multi-million-rand state-of-the-art police building, built in 2016 for South African Police Service admin personnel in Aberdeen, is standing all but empty, because they did not get the basics right.

I am determined to fight for a fully resourced police service so that we are able to reduce the climate of fear and give residents of Aberdeen peace of mind.

Earlier this week, I conducted an oversight inspection of the SAPS facilities in Aberdeen, accompanied by DA councillors Rudy Jacobs and Eldridge Ruiters, following numerous concerns raised by the community.

It was during this oversight that I discovered only one office in the new SAPS administration building was being utilised, with the bulk of the admin staff still operating out of the old police station, which houses the community service centre.
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The reasons given was that the toilets were not working, the kitchen was not functional, and the air conditioning did not work. The internet and telephone systems for the building were also non-operational.

It is unbelievable that the National Department of Public Works has failed to deal with these issues. SAPS members, who work under extremely stressful conditions, deserve to have decent offices.

I will be asking my colleague Samantha Graham Maré – who is on the national portfolio committee of Public Works, as well as being the Beyers Naude Constituency Leader – to take up this matter in the national parliament.

I will also be raising questions in the provincial legislature in relation to some of the other aspects highlighted in this visit.

These include the need for more staff to improve visible policing in the Aberdeen area, particularly at night, as it is a high accident zone area, as well as catering to the large farming community.

There are also a high number of illegal liquor outlets and concerns over assault cases, which have increased by 33% year-on-year.

Residents have also expressed concerns that their 10111 calls are not reaching the station.

We need a fully operational SAPS that is able to utilise all the resources at its disposal, to create a climate of safety in the Eastern Cape.

Regards

Bobby Stevenson

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