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A 24-hour patrol initiative organised by Plumstead Neighbourhood Watch (PNW) and Diep River police achieved its goal of uniting local crime fighters.
The “patrolathon” started and ended on Southfield Road and lasted from 09:00 on Saturday 21 July to 09:00 on Sunday 22 July.
It was aimed at uniting local Law Enforcement in fighting crime in Plumstead.
It involved watches from different communities, police, security companies and residents who voluntarily joined patrol teams throughout the day.
Constable Zak Marais, spokesperson of Plumstead Police Station, says the “patrolathon” was a chance for the patrollers to engage with their local police officers, other neighbourhood watches, and the broader community.
A 26-year-old suspect, who turned out to have three outstanding warrants of arrest from three different provinces, was arrested during the patrol. Marais says he was wanted for cases including fraud, forgery, murder and theft. Marais says there was little to no crime reported during the patrol.
Police thanked all those involved.
Kirsty Letch, PNW secretary, says the “patrolathon” was the brainchild of a few neighbourhood watches put into action by the PNW Dream Team.
“The Dream Team decided to have a show of force on Saturday with a 24-hour patrol. This took the form of walking and vehicle patrols. Activities were set out for the entire 24 hours to keep the excitement levels going and to maintain that much-needed gees. We had walkabouts through suburbs, the main road and even local shopping centres. Our partners in Law Enforcement accompanied us on foot throughout our walking endeavour and made sure that there was maximum visibility with the support of vehicles with nice flashing lights.”
Letch says they wanted to show there are no borders when it comes to fighting the scourge of crime.
“Building these relationships and sharing of valuable information can only end in the bad guys brought to book quicker.”
She says they received support from residents with some offering refreshments throughout the 24-hour period, and more volunteers joining the patrol.
Letch says because the patrol was such a success, it is now “something that will be on the year planner as a biannual event stretching to other neighbouring suburbs. We might need to coordinate this across multiple suburbs when doing the next one.”
Participating watches included Eden Safety and Security, Kenilworth, Meadows Community, Punts-Heathfield-Elfindale-Windsor Park (PHEW), Southfield and Wynberg Sector 1 with assistance from the Law Enforcement department.
