Mfuleni police encourage youth involvement in crime prevention efforts

Police and the Mfuleni Community Policing Forum (CPF) have called on young people in the Mfuleni policing precinct to get involved in efforts to reduce crime in their communities.

The call was made during a Youth Month closing event held at Happy Valley New Primary School on Monday, June 30. The event was part of a broader initiative by the police and their stakeholders to engage with the youth and promote community involvement in crime prevention.

Station commander Brigadier Tamsanqa Tito said the youth were both major contributors to and victims of crime.

“I am excited and joyous because we are closing the month of the youth. When you deal with youth, they are the most significant contributors to crime, and they are also the most victims of crime. Now we must put our heads together with all our stakeholders. I am talking about spiritual crime prevention, neighbourhood watches, abafundisi, CPF, and everybody else. I am talking about the broader society of Mfuleni so that we can be together and celebrate the youth. We will also be listening to them,” he said.

He said young people played a key role in crime prevention and that Mfuleni remained a challenging area, particularly in terms of contact crimes and gender-based violence.

“That is why we are here together. We celebrate together; that is the essence of it. We are looking forward to working with our strategic partners, such as business and faith, and everybody else,” he said.

Brigadier Tito said efforts would include working in areas such as Bardale, Happy Valley, and the surrounding informal settlements. He said a collaborative approach involving various sectors of society was needed to tackle the root causes of crime, including poverty and the breakdown of family structures.

Speakers included senior police officials, business leaders, faith-based organisations, and neighbourhood watch representatives.

Mfuleni CPF chairperson France Mashaba encouraged the youth to work with the police and other stakeholders, and also called on the spiritual crime prevention community to pray for the area.

Resident Mvana Magula said young people must be part of all crime-fighting structures.

“To have young people in the structures would be a very effective way of tackling crime and related issues. Young people are often used by the wrong people to either join gangs or distribute drugs. We want them to further their education instead. But please, they must not join gangs,” he said.

The event concluded with sports activities involving teams formed from various areas.