Cape Town Mayor Shows Off 700 New Officers Who Will Be Hitting the Streets to Keep the City Safe

• Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis joined over 700 new Metro Police cadets for a morning jog through the city streets
• The new officers, called "Neighbourhood Safety Officers," will be deployed with five dedicated police officers to every ward in Cape Town
• Capetonians praised the mayor's hands-on approach to community safety

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has given residents a glimpse of the city's future crime-fighting force by joining over 700 new Metro Police cadets for their morning training run through the streets.

The mayor shared a video on the 14th of July on his Facebook page @geordinhl with the caption:

"🚨 700+ new Metro Police officers hitting Cape Town's streets! 👮‍♂️ Young Capetonians stepping up to fight crime & make our communities safer 👏", showing his commitment to being hands-on with the city's safety initiatives.

In the video, Hill-Lewis can be seen jogging alongside the recruits as they march through Cape Town's streets in what he described as "one of their last training runs" before graduation. The mayor expressed his excitement about the new additions to the force, telling viewers he's looking forward to seeing them deployed across the city.

The 700 recruits are part of an ambitious plan to deploy five Metro Police officers to every ward in Cape Town. These officers, officially called "Neighbourhood Safety Officers," represent a major investment in the city's safety infrastructure and are expected to graduate and begin deployment in the coming months.

The initiative is part of Mayor Hill-Lewis's broader safety strategy, which includes a R40 billion three-year infrastructure investment designed to transform Cape Town into a safer city for all families. Smith admitted that while this deployment is significant, it's still not enough until local government can take over more policing responsibilities from the national government.

The morning jog demonstrates Hill-Lewis's commitment to being directly involved with the city's safety programmes. At just 35 years old, he became Cape Town's youngest Executive Mayor and has made improving community safety one of his top priorities since taking office in November 2021.

His decision to join the cadets during their training run sends a clear message to Cape Town residents that city leadership is taking crime seriously and working closely with new officers who will soon be protecting their communities.

Mzansi react to the new police deployment

The video sparked positive reactions from Cape Town residents who are eager to see improved safety in their neighbourhoods.

@AnwarMcKay suggested additional measures:

"Excellent! ❤️Also, get drone technology for gangster ridden areas. We need to bring relief to traumatised communities."

@LindaBird-Duxbury appreciated the mayor's dedication:

"When do you ever put your feet up to rest? Thanks for everything you do for Cape Town."

@MargaretJones praised his leadership:

"Geordin Hill-Lewis, you truly are a beacon of light in a dark South Africa. Much appreciated!"

@MicheleBakker expressed enthusiasm:

"Amazing to see Mayor wow! You are a legend with your team! What a great group! It's seeing these kinds of posts that truly lift my mood about our future and beautiful Cape Town!"

@ElsabeBrown simply stated:

"The best mayor, Geordin Hill -Lewis."

@ChrissieVanDerWesthuizen offered advice:

"Just make sure they are informed on the law, please. Good job, mayor."

Watch the Facebook reel below:

Other Cape Town-related stories

• Briefly News recently reported on a young woman who shared the shocking reality of paying R11,500 monthly rent for her Cape Town apartment, but the additional costs left social media users questioning her salary.
• A white Cape Town man went viral for speaking fluent isiXhosa to impressed bystanders, but his linguistic skills sparked deeper conversations about cultural unity that surprised many.
• Cape Town was crowned Best City in the World by Telegraph Travel Awards, beating global destinations like Seville and Sydney, but the timing of this recognition raised eyebrows among international travel experts.

Source: Briefly News