Cape Town - A number of neighbourhood watches were honoured at the City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate’s annual Neighbourhood Watch Awards at the weekend, acknowledging the important role that neighbourhood watch groups played in communities.
Nominees, individual patrollers, neighbourhood watch teams and winners of the various categories were among those who attended the awards in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, said: “The City is deeply appreciative of the community service spirit and volunteerism of every neighbourhood watch member across Cape Town. Our neighbourhood watches make a big impact on preventing crime in communities and demonstrate the very best and highest ideal of active citizenry. In a caring society, we look out for each other and the bond of trust that these groups build with their respective communities is incredibly valuable. The City of Cape Town is doing everything it can within its resources and ability to make our City safer for all residents and you are supporting our efforts.”
The following patrollers and NW teams took to the podium as category winners:
In the Individual Awards Categories, Member of the Year – which awards a member who upholds, with outstanding achievement, the purpose of safeguarding its members and property – went to Shannon and Dylan Pike of Wynberg East neighbourhood watch.
Organisational Excellence, for excellence in NW management, was awarded to Celeste Olivia Maclons of Nerissa NW while Mobiliser of the Year went to Elmarie Raubenheimer, at Harlyn NW for exceptional efforts to mobilise communities in support of safety.
Inspiration of the Year was awarded to Stanford Grass of Stephen Road NW and was won for displaying inspirational public leadership.
Zuhair Moosa of Nerissa NW walked away with the Crime Fighter of the Year award for exceptional, professional and committed service and for sustained NW operations in the face of highly compromised community safety, Crime Fighter Nicole Lynn Jacobus walked away with the Courage in Action award.
Group Awards Categories were awarded as follows:
- NW Group of the Year: Strand NW.
- Situational Crime Prevention Award: New Horizon NW.
- Social Responsibility Award: New Horizon NW.
- Courage in Action Award: Ottery Safety Patrol NW.
Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said: “(The) awards are in recognition of the dedication and perseverance of neighbourhood watch groups in assisting our enforcement agencies in creating safer communities. Neighbourhood watch patrollers are also ambassadors and fulfil an important interface role between communities and the City of Cape Town. We would like to say thank you to each and every patroller who gave up their spare time to make communities a safer place. The City stays committed to providing training, guidance as well as crime-prevention and patrol equipment to neighbourhood watches. I hope that these awards will be a motivation to other communities to also establish their own watch groups so that we can all do more to serve and to protect our residents.”
Cape Times