Shooting from the lip

On Friday night, SAPS provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Khombinkosi Jula and the City of Cape Town’s Director Robbie Robberts had awarded the best of the City’s safety and security departments.

But Saturday night’s gathering represented a far bigger resource. SAPS and state partners will always be a tiny resource, compared to the total population.

So, by nothing more than basic common logic, our primary safety solution lies with? The people. For three simple reasons: First, local knowledge. Who knows most about what’s going on, going down, in every single street? Neighbours.

Who knows the personalities, the hot-spots, the dark corners, the dangers? Who knows best what intervention could break the cycles of violence – before the first knife is pulled? “Peace committees”, pro-actively de-escalating disputes before blood is spilled.

Neighbours. Those closest to the action. Second, local agency. Only a hyper-local response can unite every role and responsibility, every self-motivated contribution. Third, number. The overwhelmingly largest contribution to a province’s operating budget for safety is the active steps which of millions of people take to be safe.

Neighbourhood Watches take many forms, in widely differing communities. But these three factors are present everywhere: Local knowledge, agency, number. And how is that harnessed? By brokering unity among local leadership, to lead citizen safety.

One could call the strategy “Lead the Leaders”. In the Western Cape, for example: The leaders in every SAPS Sector, at every one of the 151-odd police station in province, with every one of the Western Cape’s 387 municipal ward councillors.Just like the ’70s and ’80s, the maxim on every street should be: mobilise, organise, communicate.

Partnered by the state, activating local leadership, who galvanise local energy. Together, we can change the game. May the force be with us. On every single street.