GEORGE NEWS - Within two weeks, more than 20 000 signatures have been added to a petition started by the George Community Police Forum (CPF) in an attempt to get them and local neighbourhood watches (NHWs) added to the list of essential services during the lockdown period.

The petition, which has spread countrywide since it was started in George early in April, has now been signed by more than 80 000 people.

However, neither the CPFs nor any of the NHWsd have been added to the list of essential services and may therefore not operate during the lockdown.

"Our petition is growing, but it would seem that the buck stops at the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele," said George CPF chairperson, Rupert Pretorius, this week. "We can't do anything unless we get permission from him."

A big concern for Pretorius is that it seems as if there was never any mention of the CPF or the neighbourhood watches operating on any of the levels of lockdown. "It's as if it isn't even planned for."

According to a press release by the Western Cape Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, municipalities have been advised that accredited NHWs can be used as disaster risk management volunteers. He also called on Cele to allow NHWs to patrol in their own right - on the basis that NHWs in the Western Cape are accredited and accountable structures.

"During the lockdown period, we have seen that a number of schools have been targeted by criminal elements. The department has requested that municipalities prioritise deployment at high-risk schools to reduce acts of vandalism at schools within the province," Fritz said.

To assist with additional safety resources that are currently available, Fritz has written to all the mayors of each district and local municipality in the province to help them during the lockdown. These resources will boost both rural and urban safety through tasks including queue management to promote social distancing and patrolling.

The security resources currently available to municipalities include: 

• Already assigned Chrysalis Academy graduates; and

• Peace officers that were trained by the Department of Community Safety (Docs).

Chrysalis Academy graduates
The Department of Community Services (Docs) has indicated to municipalities that, where possible, they should allocate Chrysalis Academy graduates to perform essential services at the municipality, subject to their availability in that municipality.

Peace officers
According to the press statement, the department has trained peace officers across various municipalities. These peace officers may be utilised to perform essential services. The department will pay the stipends of these officers for a period of three months.

"District municipalities can make use of Docs funding to pay for the call-up of peace officers and former Chrysalis graduates. All district municipalities have agreed to assist with funding of peace officers," said Fritz.

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