The Witpoortjie Recreation Centre hosted a number of people from Ward 71 who attended a meeting on public safety recently.
“The meeting was called due to the alarming increase in crime within my ward. The criminals have taken the fight to the street, hitting hard and fast, and they are winning. Being passive is no longer an option. The web of terror that crime has thrown over our community needs to be torn,” said a very concerned René Benjamin, the councillor for Ward 71.
The meeting was attended by members of the police, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) Events Unit as well as the By-laws Management Unit, Emergency Management Services (EMS) Fire Safety, private security companies (Chubb, Apcan and Bhekani Abantu), Davidsonville block watch, Davidsonville Local Drug Action Committee (LDAC), The Pink Ladies organisation, the ward committee member for Public Safety, South Africa Against All Rape (SAAR), Witpoortjie Warnings Group, local taxi associations, a youth representative as well as some residents.
According to Benjamin, the aim of the meeting was threefold, that is to —
• Assess the safety of the neighbourhood
• Establish a crime-prevention programme
• Mobilise the community
“We concentrated on clarifying the responsibility of JMPD and the police, and identified areas of concern. We also looked at the type of education the public needs to be more effective contributors of vital and accurate information to which law enforcement can respond. The security companies ensured everyone of their continued commitment to the cause and community,” she said.
Everybody agreed that certain things need to be done in the community in terms of education, including:
• Helping the community to get back to the basics of security and doing the simple things that make a difference
• Getting law-enforcement officers back from zeros to heroes, with the emphasis on school education and reporting on the positive• Turning community victims into victors
“To achieve this, we will be launching the Safe and Sound campaign, and are inviting all residents to become part of it. To join, just send an SMS, starting with S&S campaign, followed by your name, area, email address or just their best contact number, to me on 072 263 6496 or visit the Safe and SoundFacebook page,” she said.
During the proceedings, she gave out some important emergency numbers for the community to keep close at hand:
• JMPD – 011 375 5911
• JMPD By-laws Management – 082 779 1361 (SMS)
• Police – 10111
• Police Crime Stop – 08600 10111
• JMPD Events – 011 490 1590
• EMS Fire Services – 011 407 6374
She added that she would write a feedback report to the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety, councillor Michael Sun, who could – due to unforeseen circumstances – not attend the meeting. “We will form a committee to work on the various educational and upliftment programmes of which everyone present today will be part. We will then have a community meeting to inform the community members, schools, non-governmental organisations, churches and businesses in the ward about the road ahead,” Benjamin concluded.
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