The WRRA (Wynberg Residents and Ratepayers Association) plans to tackle crime in Wynberg head-on and step one is to get a neighbourhood watch and street committees off the ground.
The WRRA crime subcommittee has already met with Wynberg SAPS to establish what procedures need to be followed, as well as with the Kenilworth Neighbourhood Watch for advice.
The neighbourhood watch will essentially function as the eyes and ears for the police, as well as provide a rapid-response system to alert neighbours.
The system will have two legs:
- Street committees: These have been implemented very successfully in other neighbourhoods. Essentially, it means that all residents on a particular street will share names, cellphone numbers, car registrations and other important information, then stay in contact at all times so that a neighbour can be called in case of a crisis, whether it be a heart attack, fire or crime.
- Street patrolling: This is where residents offer to patrol the immediate environment of their home for at least 1 hour per week. The Cape Town City Council provides reflective bibs, two-way radios, flashlights and other equipment for this purpose.
Once a suitable number of people have volunteered, we will contact the police who have offered to meet volunteers to legally set up street committee / neighbourhood watch structures. Training is also made available by the City of Cape Town.
Read the article on the Wynberg Neighbourhood Watch in The People’s Post.
Source: WRRA