Sophiatown Community Policing Forum welcomes Kingdom of the Netherlands ambassador
SOPHIATOWN – The ambassador of the Netherlands visited the local police station and other landmarks in the community.
The Sophiatown Police Station and Community Policing Forum were proud to welcome the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Han Peters and his wife Alessandra Camargos to the area on 5 June.
On the day, with the company and expertise of the police and community members, Peters was taken to see the area – from the streets of Claremont to the schools of Westbury and the Trevor Huddleston Centre.
The purpose of the visit was for the police and community members to identify challenges facing their community. Sophiatown Police Station Commander Brigadier Susan Crafford shared the problems that she believed were paramount to change in the community. She told Peters that violence is a big issue. Crafford said, “Gang violence, domestic violence, and contact crimes account for a lot of cases in the area. Alcohol and drug abuse also contributes to the issue.”
After a day of visiting the homes in the Sophiatown region, meeting with children and engaging with community members that are actively trying to make a difference, the ambassador was pleased about what he saw.
Peters said, “I’m moved. Moved on one end because of the poverty you see and seeing the difficult situations people. Moved on the other end because I’ve seen a lot of people working for a better future here.”
He applauded the work being done by the police, schools, community workers and groups. “It’s up to this group of people to bring the change they want to see. They are on the way there, they just need support from the community and those outside of the community.”
Peters stated that he enjoyed his visit and vowed to return in the near future.
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