The City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Department is expanding its reach by allowing ordinary residents to volunteer in support roles.  

The City launched a corps of non-uniformed volunteers who will work behind the scenes in a bid to strengthen its operations.  

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said the initiative follows years of planning and now includes 52 active volunteers.

They assist with administrative and logistical duties, such as IT support and record-keeping, to help coordinate community engagement and crime prevention projects. 

“This has been a long time coming and these civilian volunteers are critical to our operations. The public sees the officers on the road, doing patrols and roadblocks and pursuing suspects, but there is so much support work required to make it all happen, from ensuring that shifts are coordinated, vehicles are available and equipment is sourced and available for operational use. As our Law Enforcement Department operates on a 24-hour basis, these volunteers handle crucial administrative needs and reduce the load on permanent staff,” said Smith in a statement.

Each volunteer is supervised by Area Law Enforcement officers and expected to contribute at least 16 hours of service per month.  

Together with the City’s uniformed auxiliary service, established in 2013, the volunteer complement now exceeds 300 members. Between July and September, the group collectively logged nearly 19,000 service hours.  

If interested, applicants must be at least 18 years old, possess a Grade 10 qualification and have a clean criminal record to qualify.  

They are also required to undergo vetting, pass a cognitive assessment and comply with the City’s drug testing policy.