The effective, accountable and democratic policing that our communities are yearning for also demand for stronger partnerships with police and involvement of communities in crime prevention structures because police alone cannot win the war against crime, Premier Thandi Modise said on Wednesday.

“No police force or service can deal effectively with crime if it does not enjoy the support of the masses in the communities they police. In the end, it is not the size of the police service that will guarantee success in the fight against crime but the ability of the police to forge a viable relationship with the people to prevent and combat crime,” emphasised Premier Modise.

The Premier said that efforts need to be intensified to resuscitate the 36 Community Policing Forums which police management in the province reported as dysfunctional during its recent briefing on the 2012/2013 Crime Statistics to the Executive Council.

“Crime levels have to be reduced for citizens to feel safer in their homes and neighbourhoods. With the active support of communities and vigilance, opportunistic crime could be prevented particularly during the festive season. ” added Modise.

She called for community mobilisation efforts to be intensified to ensure that crime prevention structures are representative of various interest groups and are not only dominated by influential individuals within communities.-TDN
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