New Bedfordview Community Police Forum’s (BCPF) committee ready to serve

The Bedfordview Community Police Forum’s (BCPF) newly elected executive committee hopes to breathe energy into the forum.

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The forum held its executive committee elections on April 7.

Long-standing CPF member Peter Wright was named chairperson, supported by vice-chairperson Daniel Perry, who has been an active member since 2017.

“When I joined, we had all of 10 members. I hope we can encourage every person in the community to take ownership of their suburb and safety,” he said.

Perry added not everyone needs to be a patroller but everyone had something they could offer to the forum.

“We have a strong network of resources we can use.”

Mike Kenny was elected as BCPF’s new secretary after joining the forum in July.

“I had been meaning to join and the unrest last year gave me easy access to be part of the CPF. I felt I wanted to make a difference in the community while I still could,” he said.

Taking up the roles of deputy secretary as well as public relations is Lee-Anne Morgan. She told the NEWS that when unrest started spilling over into Gauteng, she realised how overwhelmed and under resourced the SAPS was.

“There was a CPF recruitment drive and there I learnt about the supportive role the CPF played to the SAPS.”
She said after she joined, she was immediately plugged into a network of community members who were out to look after their suburb.

“When anything happens, be it a car accident or robbery, the CPF has boots on the ground to help.”
Zahrah Singh is the youngest vetted member of BCPF and will take up position of treasurer. She had lived her whole life in Bedfordview calling Bedford Gardens home.

“My dad was part of the CPF and as the eldest of the children, I was set to follow in his footsteps.”
She hopes to be the driving force being a bigger youth sign-up for BCPF.

“In July is was encouraging to see the amount of support we had at a time when the safety of our suburb was under threat.”

Heading up the patrollers is Jacques Steyn, who has previously served on the executive committee for the Kempton Park CPF. He joined the BCPF in 2016.

“When I joined, there was 10 people. Then, in July with our recruitment drive, we signed up and vetted 108 new members across all three sectors.

“We still have around 100 volunteers going through the vetting process. So many people put their hands up to help.”

Steyn said every person in the community could be the eyes and ears for the SAPS, BCPF and security providers. He will be responsible for ensuring all patrollers are trained.

“We need to acknowledge the phenomenal work the previous committee has done. They stuck the course and without the groundwork they laid, we would be floundering in the deep end,” Perry said.

Morgan said the new committee had already met, with the goal of finding clarity for the forum going forward.
The committee thanked members of the community who volunteered for the forum.

“Not all heroes wear capes, ours wear high-visibility vests,” said Morgan.

“The BCPF is committed to working in partnership with SAPS to ensure the safety of our community and the new committee looks forward to fulfilling the functions which we have been elected to.”

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