Community Safety

[a]&[b]  The determination of the Policing Needs and Priorities [PNP] for the province is a constitutional responsibility of the Provincial Executive, as per section 206 [1] read with subsection [2] of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

In the Western Cape the PNP are determined through a process of public participation aimed at broad community involvement. This is done through a structured process of consultations and by using innovative crowd sourcing technology.

The main objective of the PNP process remains to determine, record and analyse the safety concerns within communities and to use this information to influence the alignment of available policing resources at National, Provincial and Local spheres of government with the needs and priorities of communities.

The Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrade [VPUU] and Regional Socio-Economic Programme [RSEP] are both programmes addressing community issues violence and safety through infrastructural and social- economic development. Both these programme will also allow for the focused deployment of provincial resources, including safety resources.

The PNP process will therefore dovetail with the VPUU and RSEP projects at the point of allocation of resources in that the PNP results are envisaged to inform where, what and when safety resources are best deployed. [i] The model of intervention of VPUU RSEP is based on Partnerships in Development which requires a consultation process with a baseline survey in each local community before the local strategy or action plan is developed. This will lead to the formation of a representative Community Structure called a Safe Node Area Committee [SNAC].  The policing needs and priorities of communities will be taken up in the Community Action plan and by the SNAC for implementation.

[ii]The VPPU /RSEP will be led by a professional team of experts andofficials from the Local Government department through the partnership with the Sustainable Urban Neighbourhood Development Pty Ltd

[iii] & [iv] Infrastructure development and economic development is one of the key components of the VPUU programme. The VPUU programme will form partnerships with the private sector and local business to participate in the implementation of this component of the programme as well as other opportunities and partnerships that promote local economic development.

[v] , [vi],& [vii]  Non-governmental Organisations [NGOs], Community Based Organisation [CBOs] and Faith Based Organisation [FBOs] will be welcomed to form part of the SNAC as well as play key roles in the implementation of the VPUU / RSEP programme. Their participation in both the social and institutional development is essential to the success of the VPUU programme.          

[viii] The VPUU / RSEP will enter into a formal partnership agreement with safety & security departments and specifically with the Department of Community Safety to implement its Community Safety Improvement programme[CSIP] in the VPUU / RSEP priority areas. The CSIP programme will have 3 key focus areas namely: Promotion of Professional Policing; Promotion of Safety Partnerships and Programmes and Security of Public Spaces. VPUU / RSEP will mobilise all the local safety and security sectors and develop specific measurable objectives to increase safety in these communities with all the safety and security sector departments and agencies such asthe South African Police Service,  the Department of Justice, the National Prosecuting Authority, Community Police Forums, Neighbourhood Watches and the Department of  Correctional Services, etc.