Akasia community voice concerns at imbizo
Some of the issues that came up were response times to call-outs and police visibility.
Akasia police recently hosted a community imbizo to address concerns around crime, drug abuse and gender-based violence in the area.
The imbizo was held at Motuvatse community hall in ext. 4 Kopanong.
Akasia police station commander, Col. Godfrey Zwane talked about the negative impact of alcohol- and drug abuse on crimes such as domestic violence and rape.
He touched on the issues, such as response times to call-outs and police visibility.
During the imbizo, residents engaged in a dialogue with the different stakeholders, who addressed their questions and concerns.
The community, among other things, raised concerns regarding the police’s reaction time to call-outs to crime scenes as well as the communication channel limited to only one telephone (landline) to report the crime to the station.
Other means of communication besides landline which is radio communication were discussed and put on the to-do list.
The local CPF emphasised the importance of community involvement and the reactivation of CPF structures within the community.
The community members were provided with safety tips on how to protect themselves and avoid becoming victims of crime.
While the 61 crime prevention wardens deployed in the precinct were officially introduced to the community.
Overall, the community had the chance to voice concerns and be heard by the relevant stakeholders.
However, the feedback from the community indicated that the turnout to the imbizo was lower than expected.
Zwane acknowledged the community’s concerns and promised to organise the next imbizo in a more accessible and central location, such as a park or taxi rank.
“This would give more people the opportunity to attend and participate in the discussion,” he said.
He said the police are committed to increasing engagement with the community and ensuring their voices are heard.
All parties agreed on a follow-up session that will soon be arranged to check if the community’s needs have been met as per the agenda.
Zwane thanked all those who attended the imbizo and encouraged the community to participate in their local CPF structures.
“The CPF is a crucial part of community safety, and it is important to build a partnership between the police and the community to combat crime,” Zwane said.
He concluded by saying community members can play an active role in keeping their community safe by joining the CPF.
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