The City of Cape Town has a team of new ‘power rangers’ – aimed at assisting law enforcement agencies and the SAPS in protecting critical electricity infrastructure.
The new Energy Safety Team was launched yesterday, and City bosses have allocated an additional budget to support law enforcement deployment, enhance security at key points and increase monitoring of critical electricity infrastructure.
The Mayoral Committee Member for Energy Beverley van Reenen says the Energy Safety teams establishment comes at a time of increased vandalism, theft and illegal connections.
The increase in the number of incidents also coincide with loadshedding, leaving communities in the dark for longer.
These ‘power rangers’ will patrol so called red-zones in the metro, which have been identified as hotspots for electricity infrastructure crimes.
The City’s Electricity Department says it monitors the data on a monthly basis and they use that information to guide resources towards clamping down on these incidents.
This dedicated team of law enforcement officers will also be focused on keeping City employees safe while they work on restoring power in red-zones.
The Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith says the Energy Safety Team will be integrated with other teams such as the Metal Theft Unit to ensure critical energy infrastructure is protected.
Van Reenen adds residents should also do their part by reporting illegal activity near infrastructure, including streetlights, to the City and the police.
Report damage to municipal electrical infrastructure:
• SMS: 31220
• Email: power@capetown.gov.za
Anonymous tip-offs welcomed
- Reward of R5 000 if tip offs lead to arrests.
- Call: 0800 1100 77
