Sub-forum raises crime awareness in Montclair

MEMBERS of the Montwood Community Police Sub-Forum held a crime awareness campaign called Snake Patrol in a bid to eradicate criminal activities in the neighbourhood on March 15.

An increase in drug peddling and house break-ins in the area prompted community members to effectively deal with crime by conducting patrols on a daily basis.

Also read: Montclair crime stats on par with the streets

Chairperson of the Montwood Community Police Sub-Forum Kevin Govender said, “The aim is to increase visibility in the area by conducting patrols in all our hotspot areas. We want the public to have a better understanding of the importance of the CPF and sub-forums in our communities.

“We also intend to invite the public to join the community crime-fighting structures, such as the CPF and sub-forums, in order to curb criminal activities in the area. They must create street-patrol groups in their areas – in that vein, we will win the fight against the perpetrators of crime,” said Govender.

While conducting patrols in the suburb, the patrollers look out for suspicious activities and alert the police. Govender urged residents to be extra vigilant as crime has taken a centre stage in the area. He urged residents to actively participate in crime prevention by reporting any suspicious activities and taking steps to deter opportunistic criminals.

“When we drive around the suburb during our street patrols, at night, we often find gates and windows opened. This makes residents an easy target for criminals,” said Govender.

He called on the public to join crime-fighting structures in their neighbourhoods.

Also read: WATCH: Montclair CPF warns residents of new crime patterns

“The more community members we have in the forum, the easier it is to monitor crime reports effectively. We are not asking for people to come out and patrol the streets with us. They can create street patrols in their communities – this will help in eradicating criminal activities. Our focus is to encourage the public to take the initiative by creating street patrols in their suburbs.

“We are fortunate to have the support of the police. Our station commander in Montclair has been supportive in all our programmes,” said Govender.

He said the sub-forum has been instrumental in apprehending suspects and handing them to the police.

“Every time we catch the suspect, we call the police. Our members are law-abiding citizens, and we do not take the law into our hands,” he said.

However, Govender said the forum is facing financial challenges. All the patrollers in the forum are members of the community. They use their own vehicles to patrol the streets. They even go the extra mile by using their own money to pay for fuel,” said Govender.

He appealed to the public to donate to support the sub-forum.

“This will go a long way in keeping the patrollers on the road. These patrollers work during the day, but they still patrol the streets at night to ensure that the residents are safe. They work until 05:00 every day,” Govender added.

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