The Western Cape Minister for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, conducted a crime walkabout in Parow and Elsies River last week. The visit was conducted on Thursday 13 November and forms part of ongoing oversight efforts to engage with community members regarding the ongoing crime crisis, the department said.
Marais was accompanied by various roleplayers. She visited the Parow Station Arcade, Parow Civic Centre, Elsies River and surrounds.
“My recent walkabout in Parow and Elsies River offered a valuable, on-the-ground view of the persistent crime challenges affecting these communities,” says Marais.
Franchesca Walker, ward councillor, the local Community Policing Forum (CPF), the station commanders of Parow and Elsies River police stations, Neighbourhood Safety Officers (NSO) from the City of Cape Town, the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID), and private security partners such as Fidelity ADT guided her through several identified hot-spots.
“They highlighted ongoing issues including smash-and-grabs, robberies, street robberies, drug-dealing, prostitution, public drinking, and a range of general law-enforcement violations.”
Both police station commanders outlined the interventions currently underway as well as the operational constraints and social ills hampering their efforts, she says. The police sub-district commissioner, Brig Jan Alexander, was also briefed during the engagement.
“Despite the challenges, it was encouraging to see all role-players reaffirm their commitment to working together to improve safety in these precincts. Strengthening collaboration between the police, the CPF, local government, and private security and citizens remains essential, and the walkabout reinforced our shared resolve to prioritise the safety and well-being of residents in Parow and Elsies River,” Marais says.
You must be logged in to post a comment.