Do these words scare you? If so, attend your local sector meetings to find out what is happening in your suburb, what you can do to create safety and how you can help create awareness.
At a recent Cleveland Community Police Forum (CCPF), Ms Bernadette Wentzel, the chairperson of the sector 3 crime forum, highlighted problems in Malvern.
She said the community has to stand together and fight crime and drugs.
“People must attend sector meetings and work together to curb crime. There have been quite a few serious incidents recently. A woman was stabbed and we believe this was a domestic-related incident. Domestic violence is a huge concern in Malvern. One of the problems is that the victims do not want to report these incidents. They must come forward and open a case. People in these situations can be saved,” said Ms Wentzel.
She said more needs to be done to attend to drug abuse in the suburb, especially considering the rate at which youngsters are becoming addicted.
“There are children as young as nine years old addicted to nyaope. There are also 11 year olds for example, who are addicted to things like benzene. I plead with people to join the sector crime forum. Do not wait for unfortunate incidents to happen. Although we are making a difference as a small group, we need more people to make greater progress,” she said.
Ms Godfrey Mothibe, the chairperson of the CCPF, said Sector 1 crime meetings are well attended and the community is working together.
The sector, which includes Cyrildene, Bruma and Dewetshof, has active residents who constantly report problems on social media apps such as Cnectd. Sector members also have a close relationship with security companies and the SAPS.
“There are a lot of challenges but several breakthroughs. For example, criminals are stealing cables behind Beryl and Cooper streets. They escape through the koppie. Residents are without power often. Criminals are also pulling gates off the rails and lifting sliding doors. A security company intervened recently and there was some success. If people have information about these criminals, they need to come forward. People continue to report suspicious activities in this sector. Residents keep each other informed and people are alert,” said Mr Mothibe.
Contact Ms Wentzel on 071 514 2224 or Mr Mothibe on 082 871 3570 for further information.
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