Community Safety
1) What are the details of the tools of the trade that his Department provided to each of the neighbourhood watches in the Western Cape;
(2) whether there are any neighbourhood-watch structures that are experiencing shortages of equipment and other tools of the trade needed in their line of work; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
(1) The Department of Community Safety provides each Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) structure with a Starter Kit upon accreditation as follows:
Starter Kit: Reflective Vests, Torches, Safety Whistles, First Aid Kit, Fire Extinguisher, Strobe lights, Magnetic decals and a Storage Box. Each Neighbourhood Watch receives the same box.
Operational Allowance: Once accredited NHWs qualify to apply for funding towards operational efficiency.
NHWs are also provided with T-shirts, caps, notebooks, water bottles and lanyards.
(2) The Department provides a standard Starter Kit to all NHW structures upon accreditation. The kit is able to equip three (3) patrol units of five (5) members each. The size of the structures differ vastly and accordingly the kit may not satisfy the operational needs of larger structures. The Department can provide the assurance that each accredited NHW structure will receive a starter kit and satisfying further governance criteria be provided an allowance towards the sustainability of the NHW structure. This can be quantified and budgeted on an annual basis.
