Sector 1 CPF rises again

To help fight and reduce crime, the Community Policing Forum (CPF) Sector 1 was re-established with a fresh structure and new leadership. This effort is a joint initiative between the police, community members, and key stakeholders to strengthen local safety and security.

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According to Mogale City Ward 20 councillor Mark Trump, the CPF was defunct in 2017 as a result of poor administration and conflict among members.

He added in August last year, the forum was finally reinstated thanks to various stakeholders and says they plan to restore the trust of the community and ensure safety.

The Sector 1 CPF, covering Krugersdorp CBD, Olivanna, and parts of Luipaardsvlei, is functioning effectively since its official establishment on August 21 last year at a public meeting for Ward 20.

Trump said that working with Krugersdorp police’s Station Commander Brigadier Happy Xaba and CPF Cluster chairperson John Boreham was the first step taken to successfully re-establish sector one.

Despite initial challenges in launching due to the complex nature of the CBD environment and limited community engagement, they continued to persist, and that has yielded positive results.

Xaba adds that police will engage with the CPF every week and will ensure that both parties play a vital role in marking a stamp on crime.

”We will work with patrollers on various visibility programs and oversee the operations that will put a stop to crime.

The CPF being revived is good because it also allows police to identify crime much more easily than before and also helps us in finding solutions in the long term,” Xaba said.

Trump added that there is an established Executive Committee (exco) and CPF sector one patrollers have been active in the CBD, achieving significant successes in arrests and combating substance abuse over the past nine months. Following the exco election in August, community volunteers serving as patrollers underwent a vetting and clearance by police before commencing operations in October. The exco committee is primarily responsible for handling funding and the resources of the CPF and ensuring transparency.

”Community safety is fundamental to maintaining a thriving CBD economy and ensuring the security of residents and shoppers.”
On June 18, they held a stakeholder meeting to reinforce support for the CPF’s continued success.

“The Krugersdorp Business Policing Forum was also established as a strategic partnership with the CPF sector one and exco to provide financial accountability and administrative support,” Trump said.
Chairperson of the forum, Danie Riekert, said that community safety extends beyond the police and patrollers and said it is important that businesses and other organisations get involved, raise awareness of crime in the area and urge residents to be vigilant.

Trump added that since the CPF was established, patrollers have produced positive results as they have been going to various crime hotspots and cleaning up the streets.

They have made several arrests for crimes that are primarily drug related and found out that mandrax and crystal meth are the most prevalent substances to wreak havoc especially in the CBD.

“Despite this, he maintains that there is still a long way to go as the areas in the sector have among the highest crime rates in Krugersdorp.

”Crime is fundamentally a community challenge that affects us all, not solely a police responsibility. I strongly encourage everyone to join and actively support Sector 1 CPF as we work collectively to enhance safety in our CBD. United in our fight against crime, we will create a safer environment that benefits our entire community,” Mark concluded.

For membership inquiries and further information, contact Riekert on 071 608 6724 or Trump on 082 441 1992.