Ramaphosa calls for stronger community involvement in fighting crime at first National Policing Summit

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a renewed focus on grassroots crime-fighting strategies during the country’s first-ever National Policing Summit, which officially kicked off on Tuesday in Kempton Park. The summit brings together key stakeholders from law enforcement, community policing forums (CPFs), and the private sector, with the shared aim of finding innovative and practical solutions to tackle South Africa’s persistent crime problem.

A Collaborative Approach to Crime Prevention

Addressing delegates at the opening of the summit, President Ramaphosa emphasized the critical role communities can and should play in enhancing safety and security across the country.

“From this summit, we need a clear plan on how to better involve our communities in crime prevention as well as crime detection,” said the president. “We must harness the full potential of our CPFs in line with relevant legislation and regulations.”

He stressed that law enforcement cannot succeed in isolation. “Policing works best when it is people-centered and community-led,” Ramaphosa noted, adding that community members are often the first to become aware of criminal activity in their areas.

Tapping into Community Intelligence

A major theme of the president’s address was the untapped intelligence that resides within communities. Ramaphosa pointed out that when crimes occur, it is often the local people who know or suspect who might be behind them.

“If you hear of a crime that has been committed in a particular area, you often hear from people, ‘we know who could have done it.’ They have real intelligence about how that criminal act could have happened.”

He argued that this informal knowledge must be harnessed systematically and responsibly to aid police investigations and enhance the effectiveness of crime-fighting efforts.

Boosting the Role of Community Policing Forums

Community Policing Forums were created to be a bridge between the public and the police, ensuring transparency, accountability, and collaboration. However, Ramaphosa acknowledged that CPFs remain underutilized and under-resourced, and he expressed hope that the summit would produce concrete recommendations on how to reinvigorate these forums and empower them with the tools they need to be effective.

Delegates at the summit are expected to workshop strategies to formalize community involvement in both crime prevention and detection, as well as discuss new ways to improve trust between communities and the police. These will be critical steps toward tackling issues such as gang violence, domestic abuse, drug trafficking, and violent crime, which continue to plague many parts of the country.

Private Sector Involvement and Technology

In addition to community engagement, the summit is also spotlighting the role of private sector partnerships and technology in modern policing. Ramaphosa expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between private security companies and SAPS could enhance crime-fighting capabilities, particularly when it comes to sharing intelligence, surveillance technologies, and rapid response resources.

He noted that public-private partnerships could help fill operational gaps in policing, especially in under-resourced communities where response times are slow and police visibility is limited.

A Turning Point in South African Policing?

The National Policing Summit is expected to run through the week, with various panels and working sessions focusing on specific challenges such as corruption within the police, community trust, youth engagement, and rural safety.

For President Ramaphosa, this gathering represents a potential turning point in the country’s approach to safety and security.

“Our people must feel safe. Our communities must be confident that their concerns are being heard and addressed. This summit must deliver practical, actionable outcomes that change lives.”

As crime remains a top concern for millions of South Africans, the pressure is now on government and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the ideas generated at the summit lead to real change on the ground.