POLITICS

Another 40 vehicles strengthen JMPD fleet – Joburg

City ensuring officers fully equipped to deal with any criminality

Another 40 new high performance vehicles strengthen JMPD fleet

14 October 2019

Today, 14 October 2019, I took delivery of 40 new high performance vehicles that were handed over to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Patrol Unit (JMPD SPU) at the Public Safety Department Headquarters in Martindale.

I was joined by the Speaker of Council, Cllr Vasco Da Gama, the Chairperson of the Section 79 Committee, Cllr Hilton Masera, and other councillors and officials as the 40 new Volkswagen Golf GTIs were formally handed over to the JMPD SPU.

These 40 new vehicles will be utilized by the JMPD SPU in its daily tasks ranging from attending to accident scenes, rapid deployment to crime scenes, land invasions, dealing with road traffic offences at identified hotspots, visible policing, patrols and events management, amongst others.

At many traffic management hotspots, like the corner of Witkoppen and Main Roads bordering Lonehill and Bryanston, we find brazen disregard for the rules of the road. In the past week, I joined the JMPD SPU’s traffic management operation at this hotspot where 15 minibus taxis were impounded for offences ranging from unroadworthiness to driving unlicensed vehicles.

Reckless and negligent driving is a serious safety hazard in Joburg, causing major traffic congestion and accident risks.

This is why the City is ensuring that our JMPD officers are fully equipped to deal adequately with any criminality it is faced with.

Indeed, these vehicles need to be safe and support the JMPD officers that perform high risk functions. It should give our officers the upper hand when fighting crime in Johannesburg.

Furthermore, the vehicles must be of good quality and have value for money. To this end, the City has procured patrol cars that are able to function well in extraordinary situations.  

Given that the last fleet replacement for the JMPD SPU was 5 years ago, these new vehicles will certainly play an integral part in ensuring the safety of our residents.

Today’s delivery compliments the 87 new vehciles that were received in July 2019 for the JMPD Freeway Unit. The department will continue to replace and maintain aged and broken vehicles so that the JMPD is able to fulfil their duties to the residents of Johannesburg.

Issued by Luyanda Longwe, Stakeholder Manager: MMC for Public Safety, 14 October 2019