Drive to secure bulletproof vests for patrollers
The Honeydew/ Wilgeheuwel community patrollers group urgently requires bulletproof vests to safely carry out their work.
A residents association (RA) has taken it upon itself to raise funds for, among other things, bulletproof vests for community patrollers.
The Honeydew/ Wilgeheuwel patrollers group has been safeguarding electricity and other infrastructure for several months now, and the impact of their work is visible.
According to Willowbrook, Ruimsig, Amorosa, and Poortview (WRAP) RA committee member Charles Dobson, the patroller group has proven itself to be a highly effective tool in combatting theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
“These are normal residents who give up their evenings with their families to walk the streets and protect our neighbourhoods,” he says. “They often find themselves in potentially dangerous situations, and we’ve had reports on more than one occasion that they have been shot at.
“Even despite the danger, they are out there night after night, patrolling, keeping tabs on the different vagrants that occupy the camps in open areas, and protecting us while we sleep.”
Dobson adds that WRAP has reached out to its various contacts and has secured very reasonable prices from a supplier of bulletproof vests.
“Even at these reasonable prices, these items are by no means cheap,” says Dobson. “That is why we have decided to launch a fundraiser to secure a further three vests to keep our patrollers safe.
“It is the least we as a community can do to thank our dedicated patrollers for the commitment to bringing about a change in our neighbourhoods.”
Cable theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure remain one of the main causes of frequent electricity outages throughout the Northside.
In a recent interview with City Power GM for the Roodepoort Service Delivery Centre, Sibusiso Xulu confirmed that cable theft is the single largest cause of the entity’s problems in the Northside.
During the interview, Xulu emphasised that community patrols are one of the measures that have proven to be effective in combatting cable theft in other areas.
If you would like more information on the community patrollers, or to donate bulletproof vests, contact Dobson on 083 332 7615.
