Reverend Tanelle Welff-Dixon, Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum coordinator
The SAPS Kraaifontein Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum hosted the final session of a series of five imbizos at the Kraaifontein Civic Centre on Saturday January 25.
The first event was held on Saturday October 12 last year at Scottsville High School, and these events, held in various venues of Kraaifontein, aimed to introduce the new Kraaifontein station commander, Brigadier John Alexander, to listen to the community's concerns and to strengthen partnerships between SAPS, local stakeholders, and the broader community to address escalating crime.
The forum, established to represent the spiritual community in the fight against crime, plays a vital role in fostering collaboration between SAPS, churches, and other religious organisations.
Recognising the moral and social challenges contributing to crime, SAPS has seen the importance of partnering with faith-based organisations to combat these issues.
The community warmly welcomed Brigadier John Alexander, the new Kraaifontein station commander. With just under 40 years of experience in SAPS, much of it as a station commander, Brigadier Alexander expressed his commitment to addressing the concerns of the Kraaifontein community, fostering stronger partnerships to tackle crime effectively and pledged his full support.
Guests included community members, councillors, representatives of the Department of Social Development and police officers, among others.
The meetings provided a platform for open dialogue between the SAPS, stakeholders, and the community. Several key issues were discussed:
• Trust and corruption - concerns were raised about perceived police corruption and a lack of trust in law enforcement.
• Visible policing - the community called for increased police presence, particularly to protect learners from harassment while commuting.
• Resource allocation - residents emphasised the urgent need for more resources to address the growing population in informal settlements such as Bloekombos and Wallacedene.
• Lack of service delivery - fed-up attendees boldly expressed their concerns over the lack of service delivery from the various government departments.
There were also heated discussions about the long-awaited establishment of a second police station in Kraaifontein. Brigadier Alexander acknowledged the frustrations over the two-decade delay.
Faith workers and organisations in the area must join efforts and better coordinate strategies to create a safer Kraaifontein and the churches, particularly, must take back their role as moral compass.
While the community raised their concerns and reasons for the under-reporting of crime, Brigadier Alexander urged residents to make the effort to report crimes. Under-reporting distorts crime statistics and impacts the allocation of SAPS resources.
The community members need to register at the police station on Friday January 31 so that they can participate in upcoming community police forum elections on Monday February 10 at Scottsdene Secondary School.