A big year for the Douglasdale CPF
DOUGLASDALE - Chairperson of the Douglasdale Community Policing Forum, Jean Berdou reflected on the past year and took stock of how far the Fourways community had come during the year.
“2014 has been a busy year for the forum with no fewer than 12 awareness campaigns held at shopping centres to deal with crime awareness, safety tips for community members and community mobilisation against crime,” Berdou said. He said the awareness the forum has raised throughout the year has resulted in a remarkable reduction of crime in the Douglasdale policing precinct, with up to 30 percent drops in certain categories of crime over the past year.
“We are still nowhere close to where we want to be with out precinct crime statistics, but it is heartening that all the major efforts being put in by the forum and the police are paying dividends,” Berdou said. New forum initiatives this year included the launch of a comprehensive volunteer group to assist the public at the police station, an increase in victim support and counselling, the successful expansion of the crime intelligence network and additional operators at the crime combating centre. The forum has made use of social media as a tool for crime prevention this year and there has been an increase in neighbourhood watch groups operating in the precinct.
Berdou said the highlight of the year, albeit in the midst of adverse circumstances, was seeing the forum teams working with police, Metro police, Joburg disaster management, Joburg and private emergency services, various church groups and community volunteers at the Kya Sands fire. “Appeals to the public yielded over 500 000 items of clothing for distribution to the victims of the fire,” Berdou said. “Over 3000 meals, made from donated food, were cooked for a week and there was massive logistical support provided in a time when our fellow community members needed it the most. This is a feat for which the entire Douglasdale policing precinct can feel justifiably proud.”
Berdou quoted Edmund Burke when he said, “All good men need to do for bad men to succeed is to do nothing.” He urged the community to get involved in the forum in order to make a difference in their area. “I wish each and every member of the community a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2015,” Berdou said.
Details: www.ddcpf.co.za
