Residents of Brooklyn and Ysterplaat are urged to help their local neighbourhood watch fight crime.
Peter Landsberg, deputy chairperson of the Brooklyn and Ysterplaat Neighbourhood Watch, told TygerBurger recently that the only way they will be able to win the fight against crime and grime in the area is if every resident plays his or her part in the battle.
“We try to make a difference, but with the help of more residents we can have a greater impact on our surroundings.
“Not everybody has to be an active patroller – we just need more eyes and ears, to make the circle a bit bigger and to tighten the net on unwanted activity which is creating problems not only for us, but for everybody in general,” Landsberg explains.
The main issues in the area are graffiti, dirty streets, street lights not working, and children wandering around late at night alone and unsupervised, he says.
Apart from this, the recently released national crime statistics also paint a dark picture for the Maitland policing district, under which Brooklyn and Ysterplaat fall.
According to the statistics, sexual offences increased by 75%. This means rape has gone up by 50% and sexual assault by 120%.
Robbery with aggravating circumstances increased by 6.3%.
These are figures the neighbourhood watch says they hope will change in the coming year. “The more crimes are reported to the authorities, the more policing resources will be allocated to our area – otherwise the statistics will show no crime happening, and those much-needed resources are then allocated elsewhere.
“We need our community to become more actively involved and to rally, stand-up united and say enough is enough. Let us work together in changing things,” Landsberg says.
He adds that as a neighbourhood watch they remain committed to working with the police and all local Law Enforcement agencies in combating crime and corruption.
“The neighbourhood watch is not only about crime, it is about crime and grime. We tackle all issues affecting our residents and which are having a negative impact on our community,” Landsberg says.
