DESPITE inclement weather, there was a fair turnout of Arboretum residents in response to a CPF invitation aimed at encouraging contact between neighbours as an anti-crime measure.
Held at Arboretum Primary School on Saturday morning, the meeting was addressed by Zululand Business Against Crime Manager Dave Whittaker, who is also a long-serving police reservist and CPF official.
‘The SAPS station management is mandated to reach out to all sectors of the community and use all available resources and organisations in the fight against crime and its effects.
‘This includes neighbourhood watches, security companies, LifeLine, Child Welfare and so forth – any organisation that deals with prevention of crime and assisting victims,’ said Whittaker.
‘While not mandated or synonymous with street patrols, the CPF must encourage interaction between residents so that they, as the ‘eyes and ears’, can inform each other and the police about crime threats.
‘The CPF structure has many other functions to perform in supporting the police and enabling a good relationship between the SAPS and the community.’
Residents present gave their details to the organisers, who will use them to form street committee structures for crime reporting purposes.
