The Randburg police’s Social Crime Prevention Unit makes a regular monthly visit to the Vandia Gardens Domestic Workers Forum to engage with local domestic workers about issues regarding crime, how to report it, and how to prevent it.
“We encourage domestic workers to remain safe and act quickly to prevent crime before it happens,” said social crime prevention officer Sergeant Dipuo Maphanga. Maphanga said that the forum allows domestic workers to be empowered, and regular communication and education with the police allow for their increased safety, as well as increasing the security of the entire suburb.
“We see domestic workers as not only the face of the community, but its eyes and ears. “Normally, when a domestic worker notices something wrong or out of place, they are the first ones to notify the police or security company. Their interactions and friendships with other domestic workers allow the rapid sharing of crime and safety awareness.”
She said that very often in house robbery or break-in cases, criminals are well aware of the composure of the household as they may have been casing the home well in advance. When domestic workers are alone and at their most vulnerable, this is where serious incidents occur. “We tell our domestic workers to ‘be careful of dangers that you may not be aware of’ and notice the changes in the surrounding environment. If anything looks out of the ordinary, do not be afraid to report it. Small things such as an overfilled mailbox are enough to attract criminal activity by letting criminals know homeowners are away.
This puts domestic workers who are alone at serious risk,” added Maphanga. Discussions at the forum also aim to help domestic workers keep safe when returning home from their place of work by sharing information on crime trends in the area, how they can be avoided, and how to report them. “Many domestic workers have been victims of crimes and have suffered immense trauma. Many are far from their own homes, and we as the police would like to make it clear to them that they do have a safe place to talk about a crime that has affected them if they feel alone,” concluded Maphanga
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