The Sir Lowry’s Pass Neighbourhood Watch had some extra eyes and ears patrolling on Friday evening when Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan Plato and Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith joined the group. At the beginning of last month, a series of neighbourhood support (NHW) was launched to witness first-hand the challenges of NHWs and offered ways to support these community-based groups.
Patrol activities focused on identifying illegal taverns, spaza shops which cause public nuisance late at night, the lack of mask-wearing and the logging of C3 complaints to address any service delivery challenges in the area. After the foot patrol in the main part of Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, there was also a farm patrol with the Sir Lowry’s Pass Farm Watch via vehicle covering several farms in the region over steep terrain.
Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan Plato applauded the work of the Sir Lowry’s Pass Neighbourhood Watch and other NHW across the city taking an active interest in the well-being of their communities.
‘I am pleased to see the efforts by the Sir Lowry’s Neighbourhood Watch, which works in partnership with other role players to keep their community safer. Many of the members here have been doing this for a long time and it shows a commitment to their community. We are here as the City of Cape Town to offer our support to this NHW and the work they do in the face of a number of challenges. I encourage more residents to join their NHW as a practical way to uplift their communities. Crime prevention requires all of our efforts to create positive change. I am grateful for the efforts of these residents within their neighbourhood,’ said Executive Mayor Dan Plato.
As another element to crime prevention, there is an ongoing anti-graffiti project to convert vandalized public spaces into attractive murals. This is spearheaded by the Strategic Support Services within the Safety & Security, in partnership with the local ward councillor, which makes the materials available to renew spaces.
This local NHW has several long-time members, including Chairperson Magriet Britz.
‘This is a community we love and we don’t do it for acknowledgement or praise, but for the love and care we have. There are many challenges, but we don’t let that stop us from being active in our community. The reason I became involved in the NHW is because we have a big problem with drugs and a lot of young people which are involved in this due to unemployment,’ said Sir Lowry’s Pass Neighbourhood Watch Chairperson, Magriet Britz.
‘I think what’s noteworthy here is how a neighbourhood watch evolves once it has been in existence for a long time and gain extra skills. One of the NHW members is a fully-trained first aider and has helped deliver a number of babies. These NHW members in Sir Lowry’s Pass know how to activate the law enforcement to do patrols with them and be responsive to their complaints. The reservists are a valuable resource to communities across Cape Town. We are the only city in the country to have a law enforcement reservist complement. We are also currently working on formulating a trading by-law to address problem businesses and the public nuisance they cause with late trading,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith.
Over the past decade, NHWs across the City have seen significant growth and now thousands of members have become a key part of crime prevention.
Neighbourhood watch members can also become members of the Volunteer Law Enforcement Auxiliary Service (LEAS). 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 authority of a peace officer, which further enhances the safety within their own 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.
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.