Community must join hands

The Neighbourhood Watch in Onverwacht said non-residents who claim to be registered with the neighbourhood watch are creating controversy in the area by taking the law into their own hands.
In a statement to Northern News, the Neighbourhood Watch reports that there was an incident last week where a man was assaulted for no apparent reason by another man claiming to be a neighbourhood watch member. “After thorough investigation it was found that the suspect was not a registered member of the neighbourhood watch nor of the Community Policing Forum (CPF).”
“I personally contacted all parties involved and assisted the victim to address the issue,” says Mariaan Wiid of the Neighbourhood Watch. “I am proud to say that within ten hours of receiving the complaint via the Facebook group ‘Lephalale News’, the issue was resolved.”
She added that she would like to apologise to the victim on behalf of the community. “I want to ensure all residents that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated and any person who does not operate within the framework of the law will be dealt with accordingly.”
All residents, institutions and businesses in the Onverwacht policing precinct are invited to get involved with the policing of the area and to report any suspicious activities and/or persons. The forum is designed for community members to address their safety and security issues with SAPS and the broader community.   
“We are all aware that Onverwacht is targeted by criminals,” says Widd, adding that the Lephalale SAPS has limited resources to cover the area. “The community can benefit through collective targeted actions to drive criminals away from the area.”
Support your Sector Crime Forum and get involved. Contact Mariaan Wiid on 082 306 7274.