GAVIN Willcocks has been elected as the new chairperson for Umbilo Sector 3 Community Policing Forum. Following the previous chairperson’s resignation earlier this year, members of the community were invited to vote for a new chair at the election on Saturday, February 11.
The sector covers the area east of Bellair Road in Umbilo, spanning from Rick Turner Road toward Edwin Swales Drive. This week, Berea Mail sat down to chat to Willcock on crime trends and policing strategies going forward. Willcock, who was on the CPF committee as a treasurer, has been involved in its work since March last year. He also founded the neighbourhood watch group, Umbilo Community Crime Awareness (UCCA), in July last year.
“We have been working in this area day and night, 24 hours, combating crime. Having all the knowledge in the area and relationships with the community in the area, I felt I could put myself up for the Sector 3 chairperson position,” he said.
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The newly elected chairperson has already begun to set goals for the success of the CPF.
“The CPF in Sector 3 has not been fully active for the last 20 years. People join and then leave, and it keeps on crumbling. It’s not going to crumble this time. We are out to make it work. We will set out a yearly plan and start working on the plan,” he said.
Among the prevalent crimes in the area that Willcocks and his team plan to tackle are hijackings, house break-ins and muggings, and cable theft.
“Cable theft is high along Fenniscowel, Prospect, Harriet Wood, Selbourn and Queen Mary roads. They are all dark areas,” added Willcocks, adding that the CPF has established crime hotspots.
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As CPF chair, Willcocks continues to work alongside UCCA – the primary neighbourhood watch group in the area.
“I have 58 members on the UCCA patrol team. Thirty-four members are on standby. Whenever we receive any information from the community, we dispatch patrollers to the scene. While we are en route to the scene, we alert SAPS,” said Willcock.
Stay connected
There is a UCCA community WhatsApp group and a crime group with over 1 000 members communicating on crime awareness. Willcocks is available to assist the community of Sector 3 on 071 040 0278.
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