DA, leader Mmusi Maimane, said he is pleased with the overall work done in fighting crime by Metro Police Officers across Nelson Mandela Bay.
Maimane paid a whistle-stop visit to the Metro Police Satelite Station in Bethelsdorp on Tuesday
He also said that he was impressed with the results of the gunshot monitoring technology, placed in gang-plagued areas, which has resulted in 17 gang-related arrests in the last recent months.
"The city also now has gunshot monitoring technology in crime hotspots, which detects gunshots and dispatches police to the exact location. Seventeen gang-related arrests in recent months have been linked to information provided by this new technology. These interventions have only yielded positive results, showing that DA-led governments can turn the tide of crime in towns, cities, and provinces across the country," he said
Head of Safety and Security, John Best, said the shot spotter technology had also led to a decrease in the number of gunshots in these areas while assisting police to improve response times.
"We also have spoken to the National South African Police Service and they will confirm that there has been an 11 % decrease in either killings and injuries as a result of the technology we use. We all have it on our mobile phones and I even have it as a monitoring tool. The chiefs and the operational staff have the application on their phone when a gunshot is fired it goes on their mobile phones as well and they can respond immediately," Best said.
A resident, who lives in Helenvale said that she has also seen a difference since the introduction of the shot spotter technology.
Beaulah Gallant said that she had noticed the decrease in crime in her area and the police responded very quickly to shootings.
Meanwhile, Maimane also called upon the current Minister of Police to keep the promises made by former Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, to build a police station in Nothern Areas' Helenvale.
Mbalula made the announcement during his visit to Nelson Mandela Bay last year in November and he has since been replaced by Bheki Cele.
During his visit, Mbalula also promised residents that he would deploy the army to assist police in addressing gangsterism.
He said that he would take the call directly to Parliament.
"The partnership between the Metro Police and the SAPS is paramount in fight crime in cities and we are asking that the police hold their end of the bargain by putting u a police station here, a fully resourced one. So that through the combination of both forces we can make sure the holiday is over for criminals in Nelson Mandela Bay," Maimane said.
