The Neighbourhood Watch Support Programme, now in its 16th year, started off with basic training in community policing concepts and handovers of equipment for patrols.
The basket of training opportunities has shown impressive growth since then.
In the most recent financial year (2023/24), additional training opportunities made available to NWs included first aid, situational crime prevention and preparedness for civil unrest situations, to further improve the working relationship between these organisations, the City and other enforcement agencies.
Many Neighbourhood Watches also walked the extra mile by rendering other voluntary services such as assisting during natural disasters and during the recent national elections.
‘Our relationship with Neighbourhood Watches has evolved over time, and so too our support programme, as is evident by the myriad training interventions on offer compared to when we started. It’s also a further indication of just how much the City values the role of these organisations in our communities. We realised long ago that the better capacitated they are, the stronger our city’s response to threats, whether of a criminal nature or from mother nature. I am very excited about the added layers of training that will come in this financial year, and beyond.
‘We have experienced good growth in the sector, but there is always room for more. I hope that communities who have not yet established their own structures, will look at the support that is available, and what is being achieved in areas where watches are active, as motivation to establish and register their own Neighbourhood Watches,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
For the current financial year, just under R6 million is available from ward allocations and Directorate budget – some of which will go towards training interventions, including:
· First aid training including levels 1, 2 and 3
· Combat and self-defence skills
· Basic firefighting training
In terms of equipment, NWs will receive trauma and burn kits to provide initial assistance until first responders arrive; flashlights, spotlights, body cameras, dashboard cameras, bicycles, high visibility jackets, two-way radios and night vision equipment.
The Safety and Security Directorate also established two operational safety hubs in Somerset West and at Mnandi Beach, in association with NWs. The directorate is aiming for an additional two operational hubs in the new financial year.
The vetting process is conducted by the Safety and Security Support Team, while the Neighbourhood Watch (NW) teams manage their own operations.
The Directorate also designed a user-friendly cellphone application that can help NWs to:
· Log patrol times
· Indicate response status to incidents
· Capture and report incident details
· Assist with administration and closer cooperation with the City’s enforcement agencies
The App will be made available to NWs in phases, with 15 out of 50 teams trained during the first phase
More information on NWs, including how to start a watch, can be accessed here: https://www.capetown.gov.za/local%20and%20communities/community-health-and-safety/community-policing/neighbourhood-watch
