Ramsgate Community Policing Forum has been lauded for its significant contribution towards dramatically reducing crime in the greater Margate area.
This effort contributed to Margate police station being named ‘best performing police station in South Africa’ for 2018/19.
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This was according to Colonel Armstrong Machi, representing Margate Station Commander, Brigadier William Slabbert, speaking at Ramsgate CPF’s well-attended annual general meeting.
“Operating a community policing forum is not easy. The community and the CPF should be very proud of what they have collectively achieved,” he said.
The CPF had seen a 45 percent decline in overall reported incidents and a 55 percent drop in housebreakings and theft over the past five years.
This had contributed to the 33 percent decline in reported incidents of burglary and theft in the Margate policing area.
Chairman of the CPF, Richard Phillips, cautioned however that in the face of a national average of close on 7 000 residential burglaries being reported every day, there was no room for complacency.
“The primary driver of our success has been the introduction of the special rates levy, which made it possible to double our operational reservist strength and accelerate the deployment of technology.”
The number of residents who subscribe to the Ramsgate emergency WhatsApp groups had more than doubled in the past year, broadening the early warning ‘eyes and ears’ for the police, which in turn has resulted in a 71 percent increase in arrests in the first nine months of 2019 and a drop to below 10 incidents of housebreaking a month.
Margate police, the Ramsgate community and armed response companies Wolf, Maser, Fidelity ADT and National Security and Fire, were all recognised for their contribution to keeping the streets of Ramsgate safe.
The Ramsgate CPF was also acknowledged for its efforts to promote social responsibility, taking part in Women’s Month and Domestic Violence Awareness campaigns, environmental beach clean-ups, assisting the community during the floods earlier in the year and helping with the provision of water to affected communities during recent shortages.
In June, the CPF was given the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality Mayoral Award for Best Urban Community Police Forum for 2019.
Colonel Machi handed out certificates of appreciation to each of the CPF SAPS members as well as to the sector commander, Constable Chantell Young and operations coordinator, Quinn Meecham in recognition of their exemplary contributions.
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