Community members are invited to join Bedfordview CPF

The public is encouraged to join the Bedfordview Community Police Forum (BCPF) to keep criminals at bay.

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The organisation’s public relations officer, Lee-Anne Morgan, said that being part of the organisation is rewarding.

She urges the community to get involved and support the organisation.

“BCPF is about ordinary citizens taking radical responsibility for their families and community.

“It is good to give back.

“You get two kinds of people in this world, the complainers and the doers.

“Be to others what you would like people to be to you or your family in time of a crisis,” she explained.

She said everyone has something valuable to offer.

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“You don’t have to be a Rambo, just a law-abiding citizen who wants to see change. Volunteers can help with admin, creating community awareness, fundraising and planning events.”

They appointed an executive committee last year in April and had re-elections on November 16.

As it stands, the executive committee consists of chairperson Dan Peery, deputy chairperson Janine Dalgleish, secretary Greg Pothitos, deputy secretary Felicia Manjanja, treasurer Zahrah Singh, public relations officer Morgan, the head of patrollers Jacques Steyn and police and community liaison Tyrone Clark.

They have 64 vetted patrollers and victim empowerment programmes.

The Bedfordview Victim Support Centre (VSC) is located at the Bedfordview Police Station and services all residents and businesses of Bedfordview (sectors 1, 2 and 3).

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The Victim Support Group (VSG) is a volunteer (non-religious) group that aims to help victims in the community address any issues that result from their exposure to crime, which often results in trauma.

The VSG works for SAPS Bedfordview but falls under the Bedfordview Community Police Forum structure.

“We have 17 counsellors, of which five are multilingual.

“Through the centres, we can provide a safe and calm environment conducive to post-trauma counselling.

“The VSC offers the services of trauma debriefers, who engage with victims at the time of the incident, as well as trauma counsellors, who counsel victims after the event,” stated Morgan.

Free counselling is available telephonically and face-to-face.

Most of the crimes committed against women in Bedfordview were domestic violence, sexual assault and common assault.

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For men, hijackings, robberies and common assaults were recorded.

Morgan explained that the new executive’s goal is to build stronger relations in the community and with the police.

Morgan said last year they formed a partnership with Bedfordview’s station commander, Colonel Justus Geusty, and Lieutenant-Colonel Sinothi Ndaba.

Patrollers are trained through workshops focusing on crime scene management, first aid, CPR and how to stop bleeding.

Some of these workshops are taken to the community as well.

The organisation also offers domestic workers and gardeners the support tools to deal with invasions and counselling.

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She added that the murder of two-year-old Chevonne Rusch was a big shock last year.

“It takes an event like that to highlight how big the problem is in our country because the statistics are that we have three to four child murders per day.”

They also plead with the community for funding to maintain their camera system, which covers the entire Bedfordview area.

“The system needs funds to be upgraded, and we need funds to train our patrollers.”

To join the organisation, visit bcpf.co.za. To join the BCPF emergency WhatsApp groups, send your name and street name to 060 755 4913.

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