The KwaZulu-Natal government has handed over 80 vehicles and equipment to crime-fighting structures for patrols. Government says the tools will equip various voluntary community crime-fighting structures in the province. The launch in Durban was attended by government leaders, Community Policing Forums and Amakhosi.
The majority of police stations with the highest crime rates in the country are in KwaZulu-Natal. According to crime statistics for the period between October and December last year, Durban’s uMlazi and iNanda and Pietermaritzburg’s Mountain Rise and Plessislaer police stations had the highest recorded cases of serious and violent crimes in the province.
Inanda and uMlazi also reported the highest number of murders in the country.
Crime-fighting structures have welcomed the initiative, saying the lack of resources has harmed efforts to root out crime in their areas.
“It’s actually going to assist us as CPF members to work hand in hand with police and our communities in order to speed up the effectiveness of fighting crime,” says Nkululeko Mfeka of uMlazi CPF.
“I think that as local police stations are under-resourced to help in the prevention of crime, so we are very excited and we cannot wait to see where this goes in the future. And we are lacking to fight crime, so by getting resources which police stations are crying out for is definitely going to help to fight crime,” says Clint Jones of Durban North Home Hawks Neighborhood Watch.
“This will inspire others to join our structures in the community,” says Domenic Jones of Sydenham Community Policing Forum.
The allocation of vehicles and equipment to crime-fighting structures will be prioritised according to the stations with the highest crime reports.
CPF members will be trained and strict measures will be in place to ensure the resources are not abused.
“We prioritised the 20 top police stations in terms of the crime statistics and the next fleet that is going to be coming, we will make sure that other police stations are also getting. But the whole province will be getting these cars. The other priority areas are areas under Amakhosi and we have installed WiFi’s in these areas and we have installed the high mask lighting to make sure those cameras have got people that are monitoring including those cameras that are in the police stations to make sure that the security is tightened there,” says KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube .
Government says for now, it has not yet secured funding for stipends to the structures.
However, it says this forms part of their future plans.
Video: Community crime fighting structures in KZN welcome donation of vehicles, equipment for patrols:
