CPF to harness ex-convicts to combat crime
Ex-convicts are to be roped in to help spread the message that crime does not pay and ‘we hope our youth can understand it better coming from the horse’s mouth’.
“We want to launch a combative fight using the ex-convicts to drive the anti-crime message to our youth from people that have been there and seen it all. Maybe the youth can understand it better coming from the horse’s mouth.
“We want them to spread the message on how bad it is to be locked up behind bars and just how bad life is in orange overalls. We want them to be ambassadors of our anti-crime fighting strategy.
ALSO READ: Ex-con’s crime fighting dream falls by the wayside
“Convicts must spread the gospel that crime does not pay so that our youngsters are well empowered when it comes to making decisions to do crime or not to do,” Matomeamohale told Alex News in an interview.
Matomeamohale said the CPF will also intensify the formation of street committees as another weapon in their arsenal to fight crime. “Street committees will be in each and every street and the community is urged to work closely with their street committees for their own safety,” she said.
ALSO READ: Ex-con puts past behind him
She said the street committees will also be reinforced with street patrollers on the ground all the time. “We call upon the community members to volunteer their time to patrol their own streets,” Matomeamohale added.
Matomeamohale admitted that alcohol also played a massive role in the commission of crimes, especially gender-based violence and violence committed against children.
“We need to have a consultative process to outline what needs to be done around the issue of alcohol so that we can mitigate its contribution towards crime in general.
ALSO READ: Skilled ex-prisoners struggle to get jobs
“As parents, we need to be there for our children at all times so that they don’t get their cue from the streets, and alcohol tends to take away the parents as their time is then consumed by alcohol as opposed to being with their children and guiding them through life,” she added.
Matomeamohale noted that the festive season was upon ‘us’ and urged the community to take extra precautions to ensure they avoid falling victim to crime this festive season. “We already have reports that abogogo [our grannies] are already falling victim to criminal syndicates.”
ALSO READ: Ex-convict gives sharp advice to Alex High School pupils
