07 Jan 2016

Community engagement in crime prevention brings good results and closes the gap by building good relationships between the police and the community, Selebi Phikwe town clerk, Mr Poloko Mojalemotho has said.

Speaking during the community policing cluster excellence awards ceremony in Selebi Phikwe recently, Mr Mojalemotho highlighted that the event was staged to inform stakeholders on crime prevention. He noted that during the festive season criminals also work hard in finding strategies of stealing hence it was important for the community to also come up with strategic means of overcoming the criminal’s strategies.

In addition, he also urged the community to ensure that they participate in fighting crime as the community’s involvement would play a vital role in security which goes hand in hand with developments, developments arises where there was safety and security.

For his part Selebi Phikwe Station Commander, Mr Victor Nlebesi expressed his happiness for Selebi Phikwe Police Station scooping second position and received the best station community policing award out of 10 districts. Clusters contributed to this achievement hence the event was made to celebrate this success and stick to progress even further in strategies to fight crime.

However, Mr Nlebesi said he was shocked by the recent incident in Mmadinare which happened for the first time this year whereby young boys raped an 80-year-old grandmother, they had the same incidents last year but arrested the culprits and they were imprisoned.

“I urge the public to take care of themselves during the festive season more especially those who will be travelling to their villages, we will be on the roads for permanent road blocks as well as village patrols around homes to ensure safety and security in both travelling and in homes” said Mr Nlebesi.

Furthermore, Selebi Phikwe deputy mayor, Nr Molefi Pilane noted that the community in connection with the police was a clear indication of unity in fighting crime, and that it was important to fight crime to curb it in the town. The team must ensure more efforts and strategies to fight crime as we are heading towards the festive season.

“We are working tirelessly day and night as the council to ensure that the streetlights will be working during the festive season as a way of reducing crime due to darkness,” Mr Nlebesi added.

He also urged the public to be supportive over each other and work on security forms such as neighbourhood watch ( Ntebela ke go lebele) as this will promote cooperation, peace and harmony hence preventing crime. Ends