Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Semakaleng Manamela has handed over vehicles and other resources to Community Policing Forums (CPF) in a bid to improve the fight against crime.
Manamela says they are aware that many community policing forums are not adequately resourced to fight crime. She urged residents to work together with the police to fight crime.
Community Policing Forums often play a crucial role in crime prevention and promote co-operation between the police and the community.
The CPF also ensures police accountability and transparency. While they assist the police execute their duties, the lack of resources sometimes frustrates them.
Ehlanzeni CPF Chairperson Mduduzi Mnisi says sometimes they are mistaken for criminals especially at night, because they don’t have uniforms or at least reflector jackets.
“Now the problem of the criminal activities among the community is that sometimes we have a problem with transport. So the police and ourselves find it very difficult to come to the scene, as a result, the community will have problems, that now they’ve waited for quite a long time. And the areas we have are very vast it’s very big,” explains Mnisi.
He further adds that, “You’ll find that in one community, the community [forum] on its own it’s supposed to be a police station so now if we’re having more communities and then very few resources like cars and so on it becomes problematic to solve the problems.”
Another CPF member, Gabriel Sekome, says lack of resources hampers their ability to respond quickly when crime is reported.
“Around Mpumalanga, we are facing the challenge of car hijacking. That one is a very serious problem that the police and the community must come together and assist to make sure that our communities are safe. And the other crime that we’re facing in our province is the issue of housebreaking and business robbery. Many people around our area are killed because of this crime,” says Sekome.
Mpumalanga Police Commissioner, Semakaleng Manamela, handed over three minibuses and sedans to CPF members. She also provided them with reflector jackets and some other resources for victim rooms.
“If the CPF does not have the resources, it’s becoming more difficult for everyone to ensure that the community safe. The CPFs are becoming our ears and eyes in the community to give us information. They’re the ones that are also trying to mobilise the communities in terms of the awareness campaigns that we are having.
So far as the province you will take note that we are confronted with the crimes such as rape, and we are confronted with crimes such as murder. And without the CPFs we are not going to make it,” said Manamela. The private sector has been urged to also assist Community Policing Forums with resources.
Source: SABC
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