Police teamed up with the community to promote Child Protection Week at Pipeline informal settlement on 3 June.
This was one of a number of activities Douglasdale police planned for the week 30 May to 6 June. “The activities conducted aimed at raising awareness of the need to protect children against abuse, exploitation, negligent and forms of violence,” explained Douglasdale Police Station spokesperson, Captain Mpho Tshetlhane.
“As a way to raise awareness within the community, Douglasdale police together with the Community Policing Forum (CPF) visited Wonderland Nursery School in North Riding on 2 June to educate the children about child safety through arts. The police also distributed colouring books with safety drawings to the children.”
When police arrived at Pipeline informal settlement the next day, they were joined by the CPF, the Department of Social Development, the Department of Health, Gender-Based Violence Brigades, community patrollers, South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca), Kya Sand Association, City of Johannesburg, Vukuzenzele and Phronesis.
They handed out about 1 000 whistles that were donated by Chris Bafatakis of the Kya Sand Association, David Weyers from Dainfern Estate and Hennie Engelbrecht from Steyn City Fidelity security as part of the ‘blow the whistle’ campaign. This is to enable residents to alert each other when in danger or to report suspicious activities to the police.
“Our community does not just exist in businesses but in its people too,” Bafatakis said on the day. “So, as the Kya Sand Association, we need to work with the community and look after it.”
Douglasdale CPF chairperson, Lizzy Mabena agreed that engagement between law enforcement and the community was needed, and thanked the association for the whistles as well as food parcels they had before distributed in the informal settlement.
Also distributed on the day were pamphlets with safety tips and residents were reminded to comply with Covid-19 laws.
The campaign ended with an exhibition by stakeholders showcasing their services and engaging with the community to improve social cohesion.
