Fighting crime at a young age

During the day he attends school like most children, but when the sun sets he sets off on his path fighting crime.

BCT: You have set out to help the Benoni Community Policing Forum (CPF), what makes this area so close to your heart?

GD: Benoni has a lot of potential and there are a lot of opportunities in the field that I would like to explore in this town.

BCT: Since you have such a strong passion for the town, are you a Benoni resident?

GD: Yes, I live in Northmead.

BCT: Have you stayed in the Benoni area all your life?

GD: I was actually born in Cape Town, but I was raised here all my life.

BCT: During the day you go to school, but what else do you do besides attending school and being part of the CPF?

GD: Apart from being involved in the CPF and being the youth head leader and a patroller, I am also a representative of the Vulnerable Citizens Support Initiative (VCSI).

BCT: You are not like an ordinary teenager who spends their time going to school and hanging out with their friends, what motivated you to join the CPF?

GD: My mother (Mandy de Carvalho) told me about it and encouraged me to give the CPF a chance and apply, so I did and now I am part of the team.

BCT: Is there a reason why you joined the CPF specifically?

GD: I would like to go into the field of security and protection some day, and the CPF is a stepping stone because they were willing to give me the opportunity to gain experience in the field at a young age.

BCT: Speaking of a young age, if you are 18 years old now, how old were you when you joined the CPF?

GD: I joined the CPF two years ago, when I was 16.

BCT: Being a CPF member is voluntary, and so patrolling is a choice. Since you are a CPF member, does that mean you patrol, too?

GD: Yes I do, I patrol in Northmead, Airfield and Farrarmere, which fall under sector two.

BCT: Those are a lot of areas for an 18-year-old to patrol, do you patrol alone?

GD: No, I patrol with my partner, Shaun Venske, who is a senior member of the Crime Air Network.

BCT: Does being in the CPF and going to school make it risky for you?

GD: For this reason, I do not tell the public where I attend school; it is for my safety.

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