Neighbourhood Watch patrollers in Masiphumelele will be a little warmer this winter as warm reflective jackets were handed out to around 30 members on Tuesday 25 April.
Western Cape minister of community safety and police oversight Reagen Allen and Community Policing Forum (CPF) members from Ocean View and Fish Hoek were in attendance at the hand over.
Jonathan Mills, Fish Hoek CPF chair, says the project to kit out neighbourhood watches in Masiphumelele started earlier this year.
“This is the second batch of jackets we handed over. The project is something I initiated through the Care Company, the local councillor and Community Policing Forum (CPF) earlier this year.”
He adds that neighourhood watches are growing steadily with at least two new watches established in the area.
“More jackets are needed as there is not enough for all members, so we want to make sure each of the five watches have at least half a dozen jackets.”
Mills further explains that neighbourhood watches are an integral part of the community. “The neighbourhood watch has two impacts: they are the eyes and ears of law enforcement and police and they have an important role to play. They help to improve crime detection and I think the second role of neighbourhood watches is that they are visible in the community.
“A lot of crime is opportunistic and the visibility of neighbourhood watches is their value, it is about the numbers, being present and helping residents feel safer. The main thing is that community safety does work.”
Meanwhile, Ocean View CPF chair Ismail Mansoer said kitting neighbourhood watch members in Ocean View and Masiphumelele with reflective jackets is ongoing.
“Reflective jackets were donated to Masi Watch; this is the second batch of jackets donated from various residents and orginisations in Fish Hoek and surrounding areas.
“It is very cold especially during winter and these members are up early in the morning until late in the evening patrolling the streets. The jackets were not enough to equip all members of five different neighbourhood watches.
“We are looking for more funds to equip all members of Masi Watch as well as neighbourhood watch members in Ocean View who are also in need of warm reflective jackets.”
Ismail adds that neighbourhood watches in Ocean View have made a difference in making residents feel safer.
“If you look at Ocean View, we had a lot of violence and if you look at today, robberies came down and commuters can walk safer to taxi ranks and buses. There are a lot of factors where these neighbourhood watches have made a difference.”
