WITH Uvongo experiencing a slight spike in crime, particularly in regards to residential burglaries, Uvongo Community Safety Forum has asked residents to be on their guard.
According to the forum’s secretary, Barry Smit, there had been a few unconfirmed incidents reported through the various Crime Watch Whatsapp groups over the last few days. The Whatsapp groups were established for the purpose of reporting suspicious activities and the presence of loiterers in the different sectors of the town.
“We are not entirely sure what the real figure is, but overall there has been an increase of criminal activities in general, both during the day and at night,” he said. He added that the forum was in the process of putting various systems in place to assist residents to report crime immediately. This would result in a quicker reaction and response by block watch members, security firms and authorities.
The Crime Watch Whatsapp groups were successfully making residents aware of every suspicious activity within their areas and this was encouraging everyone to be more vigilant.
“Crime is unfortunately a reality and we need to be reminded to remain vigilant at all times. Uvongo residents are encouraged to visit our Facebook page to get more information on how to join Crime Watch. They can also text any inquiry relating to the Crime Watch groups to our dedicated 24 hour standby contact number, 084 249 8246,” Mr Smit said.
According to Mr Smit, crime in Uvongo was not all bad news. The forum boasted a dedicated team of Block Watch members who were patrolling various sectors, day and night. Their objective was to observe and report suspicious activities and, in doing so, they were acting as the eyes and ears of the community, complementing the South African Police Services in the fight against crime. The forum also received support from security firms, the security officers assisting Block Watch members in life-threatening situations and by apprehending the culprits.
“We salute everyone involved in the fight against crime and are truly grateful for every community member’s support. We encourage community members who aren’t yet involved to contact us to find out how they can become involved in the fight against crime in our area,” Mr Smit said.
With the Easter holidays coming up soon one of the main concerns of the forum was how visitors could be affected by the current crime trend. Mr Smit said forum members were therefore in the process of compiling an important information brochure for accommodation establishment owners to hand out to their guests.
This would help to make visitors more aware that, even in a holiday area during the holiday season, crime did not take a holiday. The brochure would also provide safety tips and emergency contact numbers, including the forum’s 24-hour dedicated Crime Watch cellphone contact number.
Mr Smit appealed to the community to help fund equipment like rotating lights, torches, radios and safety vests and to assist with travelling expenses for Block Watch members. This would make their anti-crime efforts much more effective.The forum’s NPO-registered Absa banking details were as follows: Uvongo Community Safety Sub Forum, account number 920 856 0861, Margate Branch, code 632005. Use your name and surname as reference.
