Roodepoort community members gathered at the Westgate Shopping Centre on August 29 for a unique opportunity to connect with law enforcement over a cup of coffee and a muffin.
The ‘Coffee with a Cop’ initiative was hosted by Gauteng Provincial Police, and it was aimed at fostering a relationship and building trust between community members and officers while being served a hot cup of cappuccino.
This day also allowed community members to raise their concerns with police officers and come up with solutions to work together and fight crime.
Many stakeholders like schools, community patrollers, businesses, advocates, members of the Johannesburg metro police, crime prevention wardens, community safety, and Westgate officials attended this event, and they, therefore, had a roundtable that presented participants with a crime theme.
Each table was then given 20 minutes to prepare a presentation about that crime theme, and they had to present problems between police and the community and solutions to those problems.
According to the Provincial Commander for Crime Prevention Awareness and Partnership, Colonel Tsekiso Mofokeng, this initiative is to help police fight crime and to spark initiatives from different stakeholders in communities to volunteer to work with the police.
“What we are trying to achieve is to bridge the gap between police officers and the community. We are also discussing contact crimes and improving participation and initiatives to fight crime.
“For example, in our roundtable initiative, if business owners can come forward and present their issues to us and volunteer to work with us, we can create a safer society for all,” said Mofekeng.
Deputy Provincial Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana closed the programme and gave a vote of thanks for this initiative, stating that it is one of the police intervention programmes to make a difference in society.
