Community Safety Plan
The Mayoral Committee approved the plan on 30 March 2021. Of particular significance is that many of the activities contained in the plan will require co-operation from other organs of state.
The Vision of the Plan is:
A community where residents have job opportunities and permanent employment; (have the) opportunity to own property; (are) empowered to be able to send their children to high quality education institutions; (have a) stronger sense of community; a place to practice their religion freely; and streets are cordoned off and monitored by the neighbourhood watches.
The overarching objective of the Plan is:
Bergrivier is a cohesive, safe and inclusive community with opportunities for all residents.
Sub objectives of the Plan are:
To establish a functional and inclusive community safety forum & other community safety consultation mechanism in Bergrivier;
To improve infrastructure, municipal services and facilities that contributes to a safe Bergrivier;
To reduce substance and alcohol abuse in Bergrivier;
To improve community cohesion in the Bergrivier Community;
To improve child protection services;
To improve learning and create employment opportunities for young people;
To improve police service delivery;
To reduce the levels of domestic violence in the community;
To create safe and developmentally appropriate recreational facilities;
To reduce incidences of cruelty towards animals (maltreatment and fighting); and
To improve road safety.
The complete Bergrivier Community Safety Plan is available as an electronic link when the IDP has been developed in an electronic format. However, the outcomes and activities of the plan can be summarized as follows:
1 - TO ESTABLISH A FUNCTIONAL AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY SAFETY FORUM & OTHER COMMUNITY SAFETY CONSULTATION MECHANISMS IN BERGRIVIER.
High levels of crime and violence and feelings of being unsafe.
A functional Community Safety Forum has been established.
Regular quarterly meetings are held.
AGM are held annually where new office bearers are elected.
Safety plans are formulated, implemented and regularly reviewed and updated.
Participation and accountability of community in the community safety efforts/structure is achieved.
Interdepartmental and cross departmental collaboration is achieved in the implementation of the community safety plan.
All community members are aware of community safety processes and structures.
Roles responsibilities defined, and members/departments/organisations are aware of their roles and responsibilities.Ensure accountability and positive participation of all community members.
Establish a safety forum to drive the Bergrivier safety plan.
Ensure buy-in of all stakeholders to implement and promote the Bergrivier safety strategy.
Ensure on-going community and stakeholder engagement, problem analysis and planning and through regular CSF meetings.
Bi-annual feedback given to community members on the status of implementation.
Conduct inter-departmental meetings to facilitate inter-departmental and cross departmental collaboration and communication.
Provide social crime prevention training to important role-players.
Effective project management of all the programmes implemented.
Formulate a work plan that outlines the roles and responsibilities as well as the timeframes.
Community members
Bergrivier Local Municipality
SAPS
Community Leaders
CPF
DBE
DoH
DSD
DCS
DoJ
Neighbourhood Watch groups
Schools/School Principal
DOCS
2 - TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE, MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES THAT CONTRIBUTES TO A SAFE BERGRIVIER.
Infrastructural factors Influencing residence feelings of safety
Hotspot areas are well-lit at night and maintained.
Homeless residents have improved access to shelter.
Enhanced understanding of the extent of backyard dwellers in Bergrivier. Survey has been done by students of the University of Stellenbosch.
Increased number of houses with running water.
Improved knowledge on living greener.
Roll-out street lighting in those areas not currently served/ in crime hotspot areas.
Increase in building of homes for residents.
Obtain knowledge/information on the amount of backyard dwellers and conditions in which they live in.
Improve sanitary services (Water, sewage and waste management).
Endorse recycling campaigns and education on living greener with school children and community members in general.
Continuous media coverage on living greener.
Crime hotspots are cleared of any obstructions and well lit.
Neighbourhood watch and the SAPS officials regularly visit identified crime hot spots.
The Bergrivier Local Municipality (Waste Management and Urban Planning Authorities)
SAP
DoCs
3 - TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE AND ALCOHOL ABUSE IN BERGRIVIER
High levels of substance use and substance related crime
Increased knowledge on the effects of alcohol and illicit substance abuse.
Illegal shebeens are closed.
Liquor laws are strictly enforced.
Greater access to and increased utilisation of psychosocial support services for people addicted to substances.
Improve rehabilitation sector within hospitals (Consider capacity as well as the level of services
Undertake research detailing the correct zoning for liquour outlets.
Collect data and information on the liquor outlets.
Continuously update information on the liquor outlets.
Designate a group (Preferably the CPF) to assist the SAPS to ensure that the liquor license holders retain their licenses and operate within rules and regulations.
Daily visits to legal shebeens to monitor the trading hours.
Daily visits to legal (and illegal) shebeens to remove children under the age of 18 years.
Eradicate ALL illegal/unlicensed shebeens.
Consult all liquor tradesmen on a quarterly basis.
Establish and facilitate Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings.
Establish effective and accessible rehabilitation centres.
Implement evidence-based substance abuse programmes by the DSD and the DoH.
Establish designated clinic rooms for psychiatric patients.
Create awareness campaigns around the effects of alcohol misuse.
Create greater awareness on the impact of illicit drug use.
Distribute materials to educate pregnant mothers on the impact of using alcohol during pregnancy.
Education initiatives on FAS.
Have regular media coverage on the topic of alcohol abuse, drug addition, FAS and the services to help with addiction in the Bergrivier communities.
School workshops on alcohol use, drug use, addiction, teenage pregnancy and FAS.
The Bergrivier Local Municipality
CPF
Community Safety Forum (CSF)
Liqour Traders/Tavern Owners
DBE
DoH
DSD
CBO
FBO
Churches
DoCS
4 - TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY COHESION IN THE BERGRIVIER COMMUNITY.
Lack of community cohesion and poor morale
Community members are well connected and aware of community processes, events and concerns.
Increased community participation in community activities.
Promote and expand existing community and youth activities.
Create and implement new activities that are relevant for community cohesion and trust. These activities need to be run jointly by FBOS, CBOS and other stakeholders in the area to foster shared responsibility for safety within the community. For instance, house/street with the best garden campaign/competition or communities should hold annual fundraisers for scholarships.
Initiate 'Know your neighbour campaign/competitions."
Ensure that all community programmes and community initiatives are conducted within the regulations drafted by the SAPS, Community Safety Forum and the Municipality.
Establish electronic community forums. For instance, internet blogs where community members can post there safety concerns anonymously.
Increase church-based community activities to create awareness and promote social connectedness.
Improve home visitation by church leaders.
Conduct personal development workshops to community leaders and then to the community.
FBO
CPF
DSD
CBO Churches
Tavern owners
Schools Department of Sports, Arts and Recreation
Community leaders
5 - TO IMPROVE CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES.
High levels of child abuse and neglect
Safer school grounds for learners, educators and other school staff
School learners feel empowered to report experiences of abuse.
School authorities are empowered and know how to respond appropriately to cases of abuse that are reported to them.
There are registered & well managed places of safety.
Increased access to state health care professionals
Police, social workers and social auxiliary workers are adequately trained to identify & manage cases of child maltreatment.
Reported cases of child abuse and neglect are well managed.
Increased awareness of violence against children.
Implement and monitor the National School Safety Framework.
Establish safe afterschool facilities.
Implement and monitor anonymous reporting system for children who are victims of abuse.
Establish functional places of safety and safety parents, children's homes.
Increase/improve access to state psychologists and health professionals that are involved in cases of child abuse and neglect.
Train police and social auxiliary workers on dealing with cases of child abuse.
Educate and create awareness around the signs and symptoms and the appropriate responses to child abuse.
Ensure that places of safety and foster homes are safe and safety parents are well trained to deal with children who are victims of child abuse and neglect.
Improve follow-ups and monitoring of child abuse cases.
Improve investigation of child abuse cases by SAPS and Social Workers.
Offer parenting skills workshops.
DoH
DSD
Educators
CBOs
FBOs
SAPS
Schools
NGOs
6 - TO IMPROVE LEARNING AND CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Low levels of education and unemployment amongst young people
Girl learners feel empowered to make decisions around their learning/education
Increase in the number of functional ECD centres.
ECD centres provide quality services.
Educators are trained on positive discipline.
Schools have fully functional school safety teams.
Teachers, principals & the SMT are trained on school safety.
Programmes established to integrate out of school youth.
School learners have access to adequate nutrition through feeding schemes.
All children receive immunisation.
Improved school attendance.
Do training on entrepreneurial opportunities with young people and economically active individuals.
Create awareness of tertiary institutions and bursaries/student loan available.
Promote female empowerment and education.
Improve ECD centres.
Establish ECD activities in all regions (incl. playgroups and home-based ECD facilities).
Improve awareness of the importance of ECD.
Initiate feeding schemes for school learners.
Initiate programmes that motivate school dropouts to return to school. Improve school completion rates.
Improve pass rates and improved level of academia.
Increase in tertiary applications.
Continuous training for educators on School Safety, Positive Discipline etc.
Implement programmes to reintegrate out of school youth - Increased number of youths integrated back into the school.
Career guidance counselling should be given to learners in senior years of high school.
Establish skills development education programmes to create more jobs.
Implement mentorship initiative and job placement programme.
DBE
DSD
Department of Labour (DOL)
Bergrivier Local Municipality
ECD centres
Schools
DoH
Department of Travel and Tourism (DOTT)
7 - TO REDUCE THE LEVELS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY
High levels of domestic violence
Awareness raised on domestic violence.
Women are empowered to make decisions.
Victims feel empowered to report experiences of domestic violence.
Women and girls have knowledge about and have access to support services for victims of abuse.
Establish a female-centred multi-agency domestic violence forum.
Develop mechanisms for women to anonymously report experiences of domestic violence.
Offer services and support to victims of domestic violence.
Provide educational programmes on the short- and long-term effects of domestic violence.
Establish or facilitate the use of services offered to families and victims of domestic violence.
Establish safe havens for women who are victims of domestic violence.
Offer counselling services to couples, families and perpetrators/ victims of domestic violence.
Support groups for victims, children and perpetrators of domestic violence.
Women's Groups
DoH
SAPS
CPFs
DSD
Churches
CBOs
FBOS
8 - TO IMPROVE POLICE SERVICE DELIVERY.
Poor police service delivery
The role of police in social crime prevention is clarified.
Improved police visibility and patrolling.
Improved human resources for policing.
Adequate training on dealing with and investigation into child abuse and neglect.
Improve relationships between the SAPS and the community.
Clarify roles of police officers in the community safety plan.
Improve police visibility and patrolling at the hotspots specifically and at the times when community members are most vulnerable.
Adequate training on dealing with and investigating child abuse and neglect.
Train and employ additional police officers.
Collectively prioritise crime prevention concerns.
Conduct refresher sessions for the police on legislation such as the Domestic Violence Act and child protection.
Review roles and responsibilities between SAPS and social workers and where they overlap clearly define the roles of each.
SAPS
Bergrivier Local Municipality
DSD
Child Protection Agencies
Community Safety Forum
9 - TO CREATE SAFE AND DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Lack of recreational services for young people
Better understanding of the needs and priorities of young people.
Youth facilities are accessible, utilised and well managed.
The provision of recreational activities and facilities that youth are interested in.
Do a survey with youths and children to inform the development of any recreational facility (Voice of young people is key) and activities they are interested in getting involved in.
Provide facilities that can be used by young people, for instance sports fields and youth centres.
Measures to encourage the participation of young people in the provided activities and facilities should be implemented.
Ensure that these youth centres are well managed and controlled by adults.
Establish and ensure youths and children's participation in different youth clubs (different sports clubs, chess groups etc.).
Increase number of life skills programmes for youths that discuss issues such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, bullying, cyberbullying, sexual harassment, depression, safe ICT practices etc.
Provide personal development skills to sports coaches so they can impart the same skills to their young sports members.
Department of Sports, Arts and Culture
Bergrivier Local Municipality
CBO's
SAPS
DSD
Churches
Schools
DBE
10 - TO REDUCE INCIDENCES OF CRUELTY TOWARDS ANIMALS (MALTREATMENT AND FIGHTING).
Concerning levels of animal fighting
Awareness raised on animal maltreatment.
Efficient and accessible reporting mechanism for animal maltreatment is in place.
Improve neighbourhood patrolling by SAPS and CPFS.
Create awareness on animal maltreatment.
Establish animal control forums.
Establish reporting mechanisms for suspected animal abuse. Endorse humane treatment of animals.
Create awareness campaign on humane treatment of animals.
SAPS
Neighbourhood watches
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
11 - TO IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY
Reckless driving and speeding
Reduced speeding.
Improved knowledge of traffic laws.
Responsible use of the road by all drivers and pedestrians (road accidents often happen when pedestrians use the road while under the influence of alcohol)
Ensure roads are well maintained-i.e., potholes fixed etc. since that also impacts road safety
Reduced trafficking of drugs on the roads
More roadblocks on N7 and West Coast road.
Improve road conditions (Especially the West Coast road).
Install traffic lights on roads identified as high-speed areas. Improve road signage (including road names, stops signs etc.).
Install speed cameras on high-speed roads.
More speed humps are placed on road around schools and ECD facilities.
Initiate scholar patrols at schools to ensure the safety of learners.
Increase in vehicle roadworthiness checks.
Establish a dedicated truck stop that is well monitored by law enforcement agents.
Department of Transport (DOT)
Traffic Department
Municipality
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