A notably larger number of people, which included the newly appointed station commander of the local police, attended the community meeting to discuss the safety and security of Hazyview residents last week.
It was held at Laerskool Numbi on Wednesday night where Spes-Plan and Hi-Tech Security offered their assistance.
Though the previous meeting had to be rescheduled due to poor attendance, Nelspruit Concerned Citizen’s (NCC) Mr John Meintjies, who successfully established a similar system as the aforementioned NCC and Stonehenge Against Crime (SAC), said more than
30 people attended.
“It was incredibly fruitful. Residents showed great enthusiasm to become part of the fight against crime,” said Meintjies.
In the coming month, locals need to establish WhatsApp groups, either for their neighbourhood or the street they live in. “This will serve as a communication channel to get to know your neighbours. If you have questions regarding your neighbourhood, you can ask it on this group,” he added.
Serious issues can be directed to the Hazyview Concerned Citizens group or Telegraph, which will directly reach the security companies a involved.
“We saw more than 20 new registrations,” he said.
He added that the group was a community safety initiative. It is a legal and lawful programme supported by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and it is free.
Meintjies devotes his free time and own resources to make the Lowveld a safer place for everybody.
“Fighting crime is not a competition or an event, and we are not in competition with anyone. Our enemy is the criminals threatening our lives and livelihood. We have moderators, patrollers and reaction members on duty, on standby and on call 24 hours a day, voluntary. They have seen the benefit of creating and maintaining a communit safety network.
“It is supported by SAPS, security companies and a team of dedicated patrollers and moderators. To maximise our safety network, we need more eyes and ears, and we ask you to spread this message to get more people to join and be involved. Without information it is difficult to combat crime. We need the community’s eyes and ears to report crime and suspicious activity which will lead to the apprehension of more criminals. You must convince your neighbours, friends, family and other residents to join us and our Telegram and Zello groups.
“Only you will be the beneficiary of a safer community.
“Your life may be at stake. Additionally, the value of your property is directly related to the crime levels and safety of the area you live in. Crime can be prevented – by a vigilant community. Search @joincc on the free app, Telegram (https://telegram.org/).
Follow the instructions,” Meintjies said.