Crime busters unite
Prior to the forming of Buurtwag Rheenendal, residents of the rural township settlement had scant recourse when it came to fighting crime, but that all changed earlier this month.
While Rheenendal's Farm Watch organisation has played a large role in reducing the frequency of crime in the areas outside the township itself, the residents of the township were for years without a functional neighbourhood watch to fight crime at grassroots level. This often left the police without assistance as well as eyes and ears in Rheenendal, which is exactly why the Knysna Community Police Forum formed Buurtwag Rheenendal, according to Knysna CPF chairperson Cheryl Britz.
She explained that Buurtwag (neighbourhood watch) Rheenendal will be operating out of an office based in the settlement's main road, and that its group of volunteers will conduct regular patrols in the area in an effort to curb crime. They won't be able to do it all on their own however, as they will consistently link up with the Sector 5 community police subforum, while also attending monthly meetings with the police sector manager for Sector 5, Warrant Officer Hugo Beukes.
Buurtwag Rheenendal will also have representative volunteers serving on the CPF committee, with a total of 12 serving under the auspices of the organisation at the time of writing. Britz pointed out that Buurtwag Rheenendal is still in need of support from the community, as the organisation needs more volunteers and safety equipment in order to carry out sufficient protection. "Together we can make a real difference," Britz said.
Knysna CPF has also submitted an application to the Western Cape Department of Community Safety for accreditation for Buurtwag Rheenendal, which they expect to be approved.