Victims of crime within the Benoni policing precinct are encouraged to make use of the services offered at the police station’s Victim Empowerment Centre (VEC).
The six stations, Actonville, Benoni, Crystal Park, Daveyton, Etwatwa and Putfontein, are equipped with experienced counsellors who strive to support victims of crime in the community.
The VEC closely works with numerous NGOs, especially iThemba Rape and Support who are placed at the stations as victim supporters and auxiliary workers.
Their main aim is to provide immediate service to victims of crime, as well as to take all their needs into account.
Shelley Bent, who is the iThemba Rape and Trauma Support Centre acting centre manager, explained that a Victim Empowerment Centre is a victim friendly room situated in the VEC offices attached to the SAPS offices.
“The VEC office was initially set up by the Department of Community Safety and deals with client referrals from the SAPS offices. The funding and service level agreement lies with the Department of Social Development and the staff work for iThemba Rape and Trauma Support Centre, which is a non-profit or public benefit organisation,” said Bent.
The offices are managed by a staff member who is permanently employed by iThemba.
They are 42 victim supporters in eight satellite offices, including Boksburg and Tsakani and they have two social workers who visit each office once a week to view case work and attend to counselling sessions.
The victim supporters are employed on a stipend by iThemba funded by the Department of Social Development and they work eight hours a day and eight days a month so they can get practical hands-on experience while studying toward a social auxiliary or social worker accreditation.
Each VEC has a social auxiliary worker who oversees the administration, statistics and any compliance, attendance and referrals.
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Crystal Park SAPS spokesperson Sgt Lerato Mopeli said as the police they are here to assist, listen, support and provide the required information to anyone who needs help in our communities.
“At the centre, victims receive counselling sessions and if they need further assistance they are referred to the relevant specialists or centres,” Mopeli said.
Mopeli added that during the sessions, the counsellor also explains the steps going forward, for example, in the case of domestic violence, the victim may need to get a protection order and this process is explained.
“However, we sometimes face the challenge of shortage of space at the places of safety and need to make other arrangements to accommodate the victims,” she said.
In addition to helping victims of crime, the victim supporters also plan and hold various outreach projects and awareness campaigns.
Bent said some of the centres – Actonville, Tsakani and Benoni – are not suitably situated on the SAPS premises, for example, when the social worker comes to counsel a victim in Benoni, the rest of the staff need to stand outside the building until the counselling is complete.
“The centre can be improved by enlarging the counselling spaces, employing a chief social worker who oversees the psycho-social supervision and debriefing required for the social workers and the social auxiliary workers,” she said.
To help the centre continue with their work, the community is encouraged to lend a helping hand by donating because some of the victims are really in need.
Monthly monetary donations are welcome, which will be used toward the operational expenses.
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Bent said they are always in need of ‘dignity’ hope bags which should contain the following: soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, sweets or biscuits, facecloth, body lotion, underwear, and socks – these can be for children, men and mostly women. All types of blankets, baby clothes, nappies, and bottled water.
“We would also appreciate any organisation that wishes to contribute to office furniture, non-perishable food, computers, cellphones and training for our employees.
“Mostly, we would like to partner with an organisation for a win-win solution to the atrocities of crime that is called gender-based violence and femicide and we also need PPE.”
To donate contact iThemba on 011 422 4107 or 011 421 5278 or at cm@ithembasupport.org.za or visit any your nearest police station.
