Police took time off their crime-fighting schedule to promote safety at Tsakani Primary School in Kagiso.
According to West Rand District Police spokesperson Captain Solomon Sibiya, the police’s Social Crime Prevention unit addressed children from the foundation phase through to Grade Nine.
Some of the social issues currently affecting learners include bullying, theft and misbehaviour.
“The school management welcomed the intervention with great excitement,” said Sibiya, who added their school safety programme is a collaboration between police and the Department of Education.
“The implementation of the School Safety Programme is guided by the School Safety Protocol, which was entered into the police and the Department of Basic Education in 2011. To realise the objectives of the programme, the goal is to link schools to local police stations and to raise awareness among children and learners regarding crime and violence, as well as its impact on individuals, families, and education and what role they can play to ensure there is safety in their community.
“Schools are identified based on crime prevalence or threats of crime and violence. The idea is to address activities relating to specific crimes and challenges, focusing on bullying, sexual offences, substance abuse, vandalism, burglary, dangerous weapons and gangsterism, amongst other threats.”
Sibiya added that the school safety programme has been implemented at 3 756 schools thus far.