Neighbourhood watch groups shone some light on Delft on Friday evening when Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan Plato and Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith joined the group for a crime prevention patrol, along with Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP) officers. Now in its sixth week, the Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) support visits have been to various areas across the City to offer ways to assist these community-based groups and encourage community participation.
In Voorbrug, Delft, patrol activities focused on identifying illegal dumping hotspots, logging C3 notices to address service delivery issues such as potholes and streetlights not in working order and visibility. City staff and the NHW also engaged the community during the patrol to encourage participation in patrolling efforts and interested residents offered their details to join future patrols.
Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan Plato said crime prevention requires all of our efforts including residents.
‘Delft is one of the hotspots where we see challenges of crime, so the patrolling activities of the neighbourhood watch are really important to assist law enforcement agencies. I was pleased that we could join the NHW this evening as we could also highlight a number of service delivery issues which need attention. It was wonderful to see committed and caring residents wanting to positively impact their communities and I encourage more residents to join their neighbourhood watch as a practical way to uplift their communities. We are here as the City of Cape Town to offer our support to this NHW and the work they do. This NHW has also been acknowledged at the City’s NHW Awards and is a demonstration of their commitment,’ Executive Mayor Dan Plato.
This local Echo NHW is headed by Chairperson Susan Jantjies. She joined the NHW, becoming chairperson in 2005 after a decision to turn her life around and uplift her community. Her commitment to these efforts has been rewarded, having received the NHW of the year in 2018 at the City’s NHW Awards as an acknowledgement of her years of service.
Jantjies is also the overall co-ordinator of the 23 groups who patrol the area on a daily basis. Three groups joined on Friday night, namely the Echo NHW, Extreme NHW and Section 37 NHW.
‘My passion for the NHW comes from seeing how my actions were negatively impacting my community and I wanted to change. I did not want to live like that anymore and I joined the NHW to create positive change in my community. Through my and our group efforts our NHW has grown over the years and the training received has helped a lot. In Delft, specifically Voorbrug, is a real hotspot where robberies and shootings take place and our partnership with Law Enforcement helps us to be even more effective at keeping this community safe. We don’t only focus on crime prevention, but we also focus on service delivery like reporting streetlights out of working order and other issues. I have a passion for crime prevention and my community,’ said Susan Jantjies.
‘The NHWs in Delft are one of the many committed groups with the essential tools and training needed for an effective patrol such as LED torches, two-way radios, jackets. There are great coordinators, one of whom is Susan Jantjies, she is a great neighbourhood watch ambassador. When you have safety activists like her you’re grateful and do what you can to offer the right support to expand their reach, to be more consistently on the street. They also link to the Law Enforcement Advancement Programme. LEAP sees what the NHW sees and that really makes crime prevention efforts more effective,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith.
The public can anonymously report any suspicious activity to the Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone, or 107 from a landline. Complaints of non-compliance with COVID-19 regulations can be directed to the City’s compliance hotline on 021 444 3582.
City NHW groups have been active for more than a decade and have seen encouraging growth, with thousands of members now part of key crime prevention efforts within their respective communities.
Although the Law Enforcement department’s main functions are by-law enforcement and addressing traffic violations, they are playing an increasingly broader role in joining the local communities to prevent crime.
Neighbourhood watch members can also become members of the Volunteer Law Enforcement Auxiliary Service. In 2013, the Safety and Security Directorate launched LEAS, with prospective volunteers encouraged to first join their local neighbourhood watch before being recruited as a LEAS volunteer.
The Law Enforcement Auxiliaries Programme allows registered neighbourhood watch patrollers to apply. Once trained and equipped, these voluntary Law Enforcement officers can directly assist their NHWs with the powers of a peace officer, which further enhances safety within their own communities.