The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate, and the Western Cape Government's Community Safety department has encouraged the public to nominate those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty during the course of last year for the forthcoming Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) Awards 2018.
The Awards, to be held in February 2018, will honour accredited Neighbourhood Watches, and their members.
The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2018.
Mayco member for social services, safety and security JP Smith said: “Neighbourhood watches are force multipliers in the fight against crime, expanding our abilities and assisting us in making communities more secure.
“The Watches together with the Law Enforcement.. Disaster Risk Management, Fire and Rescue Services as well as Traffic Services… are transforming our City so that communities including women and children, are in a safer environment,” Smith said.
“The work that Neighbourhood Watches do contributes significantly towards building safer communities in Cape Town. The members of the NHW dedicate their time and often some of their own resources towards ensuring that criminals do not become comfortable in our City,” he added.
Over the last decade, the City has invested millions of rands to train volunteers and provide neighbourhood watch organisations with equipment like jackets, torches, bicycles, hand radios and radio base stations for their watch rooms and has partnered with these organisations to install and share information between CCTV camera networks, Smith said.
“The reason we invest so much in our NHW’s because we have seen the positive impact that they are making in their communities and for the City at large. We value and thank them for all their hard work and time and encourage them to keep doing the excellent work that they do,” Smith said.
Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato, said the NHW Awards ceremony, the first under the new provincial and City partnership, will showcase appreciation for NHWs and their members.
“Across the province, our NHW volunteers care deeply about safety and make a daily contribution to the safety of their communities," he said.
The different categories in the 2018 NHW Awards are designed to honour the many different ways in which NHW members contribute towards safety. This includes formal patrols, those who work closely with the various emergency services, who assist with social issues; who work with religious organisations and NGOs; or even those working closely with our schools.
For more information, visit: https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Have-your-say/surveys-and-submissions/neighbourhood-watch-awards/Neighbourhood%20Watch%20Awards