By Akani Nkuna
In a bid to strengthen crime-fighting efforts and enhance community safety, Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia has announced plans to establish a national community patroller programme aimed at supporting the South African Police Service (SAPS) and empowering local communities.
Speaking at the release of the third-quarter crime statistics in Hatfield, Pretoria, on Friday, 20 February, Cachalia said the initiative would revive community policing structures and provide stipends and training to participating members.
“We will be looking at re-invigorating community policing by establishing a national community patroller programme that will run in each province. I have tasked the Civilian Secretariat for Police to develop the concept and funding model, with the objective of enabling community members to receive training and stipends to assist with improving safety in their localities,” he said.
Cachalia stressed that patrollers would not perform formal policing duties but would serve as visible deterrents
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