Norwood residents will see the crime-fighting team more regularly in their suburb.
The Norwood Crime Policing Forum (CPF), Norwood Police Station and Norwood Neighbourhood Watch (which falls under the CPF) are actively patrolling throughout the Norwood precinct. Chairman of the Norwood CPF Colin Wasserfall said, “Due to the pandemic, we are not operating on full steam, but I am in regular contact with the station commander to make sure that any issues within the precinct are dealt with speedily. There are currently no face-to-face CPF meetings at any level. These meetings are being held via remote conferencing.”
Wasserfall also urged community members to rather donate to organisations set up to help those in need, and refrain from giving money to people at the traffic lights and in the street. “There are organisations which are specifically set up to feed the needy and help the homeless. We urge them to rather donate to these organisations.
“These are tough times, the truly needy are being looked after by private and state organisations. We urge the community to hold the local, provincial, and national governments accountable for poor service delivery when and if they see it.”
He also cautioned parents, “We have found evidence of prolific drug use in the parks in the precinct, we urge parents of young adults to know their whereabouts and who their friends are. There are interventions available which should be utilised. Contact the Norwood Police Station Social Crime Department for more information.” Norwood Police Station spokesperson Sergeant Eric Masotsha said they were currently working hand in glove with the CPF.
He said, “We appreciate their efforts and their time as they learn from us and we learn from them. We conduct two operations, which are stop-and-search as well as patrols, per week. Residents can expect a lot more visibility from us as we fight against crime.” The CPF was also saddened to hear about the murder incident in The Gardens in the past week and extended their condolences to the family.
Some general tips from the Norwood CPF:
- If possible, upgrade your camera systems to high definition day and night cameras. There is always a possibility that the footage from your cameras will be needed to aid the police in solving crimes.
- Make sure that your security service provider is living up to their advertising and make them accountable.
- Make sure to call 10111 to report criminal activity.
- Wherever possible, employ local tradesmen whose credentials can be verified.q Make use of the MySAPS crime intelligence app to report suspected criminal activity in our precinct. SAPS does act on these tip-offs.
- Please support the CPF and the Norwood Neighbourhood Watch.
Details: You can contact the Norwood CPF chairman, Colin Wasserfall, on WhatsApp only 076 137 0910
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