Community and cops must fight crime as one

THE RECENT spate of police officers being murdered should be condemned by all peace-loving South Africans.

These men and women who are tasked with the duty of protecting us from criminals are now the victims of merciless criminals. It is also evidence of criminals having the upper hand and showing no regard for our law enforcement agencies. It is also an indication that crime in this country is on the increase and we are all under siege from criminals.

The division between the police and the community is not helping in the fight against crime; it simply creates space for criminals to do as they please. Criminals live among us as the community, but people are reluctant to work with the police in fighting crime for fear of victimisation and the lack of trust in the police services.

Criminals are exploiting this gap. The only solution is for us, the community, and the police to heal our wounds and work together before criminals completely take over our streets.

The condemnation of police killings should also be extended to crime in general; selective condemnation will only mean that we don’t really care about the other victims of crime, and that we are only concerned about police killings.

As communities on the ground, in our small ways, we can mobilise and join forces in the fight against crime.

We cannot allow this situation of being held hostage in our own backyards by criminals. Community policing forums should be equipped and strengthened to mobilise the community to take a stand against crime, and they should also be used as a vehicle to mend the broken relationship between the community and the police.

The issue of the inadequate training of our police officers should be looked at by those in police leadership who should ensure that officers are effectively trained to protect themselves and us, the citizens.

We stood together in the struggle against apartheid and we championed activism for HIV/Aids. It’s time for us to stand together and mobilise against crime. Let’s not allow criminals to deny us the opportunity to live in a peaceful, democratic society that we fought so hard for.

We can’t be held hostage in our own back yards

Dobsonville, Soweto