City’s Traffic Police–July 1932

Gallows Hill Archives: 1932

Cape Times 29 July 1932

City’s Traffic Police

Six More Inspectors Appointed

Change-Over of Control

The appointment of six traffic inspectors by the City Council, permission for which was granted at last night’s Council meeting, constitutes the first big step towards the establishment of municipal police.

The Traffic Department already possessed 12 officials who are being trained, apart from their ordinary duties, to act as special traffic constables.

With the acquisition of six new inspectors and a reserve of ex-policemen, a valuable force is being gathered to organise and control city traffic.

Although no special uniform is being provided, each man will wear a white coat. A red armlet with the letters “C.C.C. Traffic” work in black, will serve for identification.

The six new inspectors will be sworn in within a few days.

Sports Ground Traffic

The establishment of a special force of municipal traffic police has been rendered necessary by the withdrawal of a certain percentage of the ordinary police from traffic duty. Other withdrawals will take place towards the end of the year.

Notification was received recently by the Traffic Control Committee that the Deputy Commissioner of Police was withdrawing the usual quota of police from duty at the Newlands and Hartleyvale sports grounds.

On the last two Saturdays, traffic control at these places has been carried out successfully by municipal inspectors.

Tomorrow at Newlands and on Monday at Hartleyvale a similar squad will control the traffic in place of the ordinary uniformed police.

Nine traffic inspectors will be posted at each place, a number of the men being used on point duty and the others on parking guidance.

Nine traffic inspectors will be posted at each place, a number of the men being used on point duty and the others on parking guidance.

Automatic light signals have been used at certain points in the city area from which the police have been withdrawn, but wherever necessary the new municipal police will be detailed for point duty.

In cases where it may be found impossible for the municipal police to cope with rush traffic, the Traffic Superintendent will be empowered to call upon the police reserve a body of ex-policemen who have been handed together for any emergency which may arise.