Become a ‘street Cop’ today

YOUR ‘eyes and ears’ are needed to scout for criminals in your street. To curb crime, the Community Safety Organisation (CSO), based in Southport, has launched street community orientated policing (Cop). So, a CSO Cop is a resident who will patrol his or her own street when time permits.

Many people in the suburb work from home, or are retired, and so are able to spend a few minutes during the day walking the street and monitoring activity. All Cops will be asked to wear a shirt and cap and, when they have time, stroll up and down the street, checking on houses, looking out for suspicious people, cars or vagrants hanging around.

The idea is that thieves and vagrants will recognise the Cop uniform, and come to realise that there is a member on every street. They will leave the area and go to another suburb. “If there is one or more Cop in every street, can you imagine the deterrent effect it will have on crime?” said CSO chairman John Irven, the man behind the new initiative. To ensure uniformity with the rest of the country, the new uniform will be yellow and blue.

John and his team have recently been to Durban for extensive training, as the Cop initiative is a countrywide concept. A public meeting will be held at the Southport Library on Monday, March 3 at 10am. Those interested will be briefed and basic training will be carried out.

This is your chance to sign up. You need to bring along your ID book, so identity badges can be made. All Cop members are required to carry an ID badge when patrolling, and sign an indemnity form. The first group walk will take place from the Southport/Anerley shopping centre on Saturday, March 8 at 9am. Contact John at 078 7546828 for more information.