- The Athlone CPF has elected a new executive, with Sharon Classen retaining her position as chair.
- Her focus in the next term will be on educating the community about crime reporting and strengthening partnerships between police, schools, and businesses.
- The CPF aims to reduce Athlone’s high crime rates through community collaboration.
The Athlone Community Policing Forum has elected its new executive for the next five year term, with Sharon Classen retaining her position as chair.
On Wednesday 20 November, registered organisations from the policing precinct attended the election at the Athlone Police Station boardroom to put in power the new executive.
Classen says her first term was about rebuilding relationships between police and the community and establishing a solid partnership. “In order to achieve this objective, required active engagements with communities and having police present at these engagements. Now that the partnership is established and the foundation is laid, we can build towards a safer environment for all,” she says. “For next year, we want to focus on education; educating communities on reporting crimes – how and when to, the criminal justice process and embark on getting schools and business to join the forum.”
Classen encourages the community of Athlone to work with police to promote safer communities.“Police requires the support of the community to improve our safety. Be their eyes and ears – share information on perpetrators and stand up against criminal activities,” she says. “In the words of Mattie JT Stepanek ‘Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved’.”
The Athlone precinct experiences high crime of all types, including murder, sexual offences, assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, common assault, common robbery, robbery with aggravating circumstances and hijacking and the partnership is key in addressing this, she says.
New executive elected
- Chair: Sharon Claasen
- Deputy chair: Vernon Piedt
- PRO: Pat O’Connor
- Treasurer: Ridwanah Chichvadia
- Secretary: Nadine Marais
- Assistant secretary: Rafiqah Chichvadia
- Additional members (safety portfolio): Greg Forbes and Naweed Mohamed
