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More cops won't drop crime'
22/05/2007 19:31  - (SA)  

Cape Town - Recruiting more police officials would not automatically translate into a reduction in crime, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Tuesday.

Speaking during the Safety and Security Department's budget vote debate, Nqakula said it was strong relationships between the police and communities that ensured the war against crime was won.

"It is not the size of the police service that will guarantee success in the fight against crime but the ability of the police to forge a viable relationship with the people to prevent and combat crime," he said.

However, he said the task of forging good relationships between the police and the community was being made difficult because of historical tensions between the two.

"In the early years of our democracy, it was difficult to build confidence between the people and the police.

"We need to build a strong partnership that will raise the level of trust between the people and the police," he said, adding that the police and communities were beginning to work together in many parts of the country.

"In the many communities where the people work together with the police, the levels of crime have gone down," he said.

The department was currently working on legislation that would give Community Policing Forums more powers.

"We are discussing, together with them, how we can raise their profile so that they can play the role that attaches to their functions," Nqakula said.