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By Dr Dirk Brand LLD Independent Legal Consultant, Cape Town The announcement on 15 July 2026 by Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis that Cape Town should develop an own detective capacity for the metro police is noteworthy for various reasons. In view of the high crime rate in many parts of Cape Town and the need to ensure a safe environment for everyone, strengthening the policing capacity in the metropolitan area is crucial. Promotion of a safe and healthy environment is one of the

By Dr Lennit Max (Former Police Commissioner of the Western Cape) Image source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUkSljvjsfQ/ The City of Cape Town's recent announcement that it intends establishing an investigative capacity within its Metro Police has been welcomed by many residents frustrated by high levels of violent crime and the perceived shortcomings of the South African Police Service (SAPS). At first glance, the proposal appears both practical and necessary. More investiga

By Cobus Steenkamp MBL PhD Candidate (Crisis Leadership) Lecturer and Researcher in Police Practice at North-West University, Potchefstroom South Africa's Police Act of 1995 introduced a new policing philosophy built around one central idea: community policing. For the first time, the police would be understood as part of the community rather than apart from it - policing from the community, for the community. The name change from the South African Police Force (SAP) to the S