Acknowledging the police’s ‘eyes and ears’

Ground-level intelligence is vital for effective policing. Having trusted sources on the ground capable of alerting police to criminal activity has become a vital cog in the crime-fighting machine.

Roodepoort Police acknowledged their community foot soldiers, who were deployed over the festive season, with a certificate ceremony on Friday, 7 February.

The Community Policing Forum (CPF) operates a sophisticated team of concerned residents who fall under the ‘patroller’ banner. These patrollers stealthily observe crime hot spots and alert nearby police officers of impending danger. The team consists of 50 volunteers with the vast majority coming from the suburbs of Durban Deep, Matholesville and Princess.

They are coordinated by the CPF in conjunction with Roodepoort Police sector managers, and chairperson of the CPF, Petrus Lehaiwa, was incredibly proud of the team. “You walked together as a united front. This patrol can be one of the best this city has,” said Lehaiwa who addressed them before handing out their individual certificates.

Keeping the patrollers hydrated on their shifts is Kingsley Beverages that for the past two years has been supplying the CPF members with refreshments. Roodepoort Plant Manager, John McPhee showed his appreciation of the patrollers’ efforts saying, “Thanks for all the hard work. Where we can help, we will.”

Constable Shumikazi Mbuli, Head of Social Crime Prevention, and Colonel Lucas Nkosi also thanked the patrollers. “You are our eyes and ears on the ground. You have stopped many crimes over December and the community is very grateful,” said Constable Mbuli.

Starting from the ground up, Roodepoort Police are building a vast support network with crime-fighting capacity.