Cape Times reports that the City of Cape Town has seen a surge in escorts for staff and contractors since the inception of its Facility Protection Officers (FPO) initiative a year ago.
The initiative was launched in May 2023 with a mandate to protect city facilities against vandalism and theft, but also to help safeguard projects and staff amid an increase in extortion-related incidents that have severely impacted service delivery. The number of escorts provided to City departments and contractors increased from 759 within nine months in 2022/23 to 1,292 during the same period in the current financial year, representing a 70% increase. Safety and security management committee member, JP Smith, said: “‘The massive spike in safety escorts speaks to our commitment to keeping staff and contractors safe, and to ensure that service delivery happens as needed. Sadly, it is also a reflection of the very difficult circumstances in many of our communities. No one should have to worry about their safety when heading out to fix a street light, or a pipe, or to put out a fire, but here we are.” He went on to note: “For a long time, our rescue services were mindlessly targeted in high-risk areas, but today, with the proliferation of extortion rackets, everyone is at risk, and often with fatal consequences, as we have seen in recent years.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chevon Booysen at Cape Times
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