I’ve been a Krugersdorp resident for many years and have my ear quite close to the ground as far as happenings out West are concerned. Every now and again I’ll be popping in to be the voice of the dorp. Who I am is not important although you never know when I might stand next to you and hear what you have to say …
One of the best things that has happened in this dorp started a number of years ago when the now retired police station commander, Henriette Bester (also a Krugersdorper), structured the Community Police Forum in town. I remember that the modus operandi of the Krugersdorp CPF sectors was looked at and copied by outsiders. I also remember thinking, quite cynically, that I wanted to see if this would work because Krugersdorpers can be quite apathetic when it comes to “getting involved”.
For years I stayed away from the temptation of joining, figuring out it was for those who couldn’t manage their own safety. How wrong I was. I joined this organisation about two years ago and I have never been sorry. Run by volunteers who give up their time freely and who genuinely care about their neighbours, they patrol, they react and they are there.
When a call for help comes through – be it for an accident or from someone who is alone and scared at home, someone will be there. I have been super impressed with the support, loyalty and structure of the various sectors. They catch the “bad guys”, they counsel victims of crime, they attend training courses and they give of their time. What else could anyone ask for?
This week, for example, several arrests were made in one of the sectors in which a police helicopter was involved. This was a daytime incident but there have been plenty of incidents in the early hours of the morning. Without fail the call for help has been answered by someone who has himself or herself just woken up.
In the recent waterless weeks (for some of us) the hospitality and willingness of those who had water to share with those who didn’t was heartwarming. So, Krugersdorp CPF, I Salute you and thank you for keeping us safe in our houses. And, to those who have not yet joined, if there’s one thing you really should do it’s to join your local CPF. You won’t be sorry!
