The Francis Street Committee (FSC) is exploring the possibility of having street patrols in order to work with the police in increasing visibility on the street.
The committee was initially formed to deal with prostitution on the streets of Observatory, but plans are underway to expand its function to dealing with crime in general in the area.
“We will be engaging the Gauteng Department of Community Safety to see if we can get any help from them. We will be trying to train people who are always in the area, such as the domestic workers and garden workers,” said Mr Joseph Dube, who is the secretary of the Yeoville Sector 3 Community Police Forum (CPF) and a resident of Observatory.
He explained that this would be a pilot project and would need to be supported by the cluster.
“We are due to meet with members of the cluster soon, where this matter will be tabled. This is a pro-active approach taken by members of the community. The aim is to be the eyes and ears of the police and help them in fighting crime,” said Mr Dube.
The Francis Street Committee also has a Whatsapp group which they use to share information. The group has expanded beyond just being a platform about the prostitution in the area, but has now become a general platform for all crime-related issues.
“Members of the community appreciate the Whatsapp platform and we are planning to expand to Facebook. It will get better after discussions with the Gauteng Department of Community Safety have taken place and people have the training they need,” said Mr Dube.
He said they would be trained in order to be able to identify potential crime in the area. “When they know what to look out for, they can do better,” said Mr Dube.
“We warn people to be aware during the festive season as this is a time when criminals seem to take more chances. When they see something suspicious, they must report it to the police,” said Mr Dube.
