City’s Neighbourhood Watch Awards recognise excellent service
23 October 2021
The annual event is an opportunity to give recognition to Neighbourhood Watch (NW) members who excelled in the line of duty to promote safety and protect their communities. Three groups and six individual winners were awarded at the prestigious event held in the Council chamber today. One recipient walked away with two awards.
In August this year, the City called for nominations from members of the public to nominate accredited individual NW members or groups who have shown exceptional performance and dedication in community safety and upliftment.
Today’s awards created an opportunity to pause to acknowledge the perseverance and dedication to service excellence as well as the positive contribution that NWs make to public safety.
‘We are proud to be part of this event and to support our Neighbourhood Watches and to say thank you to the important role they fulfil in the community and in supporting our enforcement agencies in our integrated efforts to build safer communities and to assist those in need. The members who received awards today, not only excelled in their communities, but they are also a motivation to other members to work as a team and also to individually contribute to a safer, caring environment,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
This year, the field for nominations was more open with a double winner in the individual category. Three groups and six individual winners were identified. This year, our female neighbourhood watch members have dominated the spotlight scooping up five of the six individual awards.
Below are the group and individual categories with the respective winners;
Group awards
Team of the Year
The Langa Safety Patrol Neighbourhood Watch received the award for outstanding achievement in safe guarding its members and property against crime and other safety related challenges.
Broken Windows Award
The Wynberg East Neighbourhood Watch received the award in recognition of exceptional efforts towards a clean, healthy and safe environment by uplifting the physical appearance of an area through initiating community clean-ups of litter, graffiti and weeds on the pavement, among other things.
Courage in Action Group Award
The Carola Neighbourhood Watch (Grassy Park) received this award for sustained NW operations amid a challenging community safety environment by combating gangsterism, drug activity and violence.
Individual awards
NW member of the year
George Kruger from the Victoria Park Neighbourhood Watch (Somerset West) walked away with the award by demonstrating outstanding achievement in safeguarding members and property against crime.
Organisational Excellence
Erica Jacobs representing the Parow West Neighbourhood Watch received the award for excellence in NW management that helps to create professional, capable and accountable NW teams.
Mobiliser of the Year
The award went to Susanna Boois from Somerset Heights for exceptional service in recruiting and expanding the NW, raising safety awareness and getting people to participate in NW activities.
Inspiration of the Year
The award went to Deidre Petersen from the Eastridge Neighbourhood Watch for a NW leader who has displayed inspirational public leadership across several NW areas.
Crime Fighter of the Year
Valerie Moses from the Rocklands Neighbourhood Watch received the award for exceptional, selfless, professional and committed service in the fight against crime.
Courage in Action Award
Valerie Moses from the Rocklands Neighbourhood Watch received another award in recognition of sustained NW operations in the face of a challenging community safety environment by combating gangsterism, drug and crime related incidents.
‘The City’s enforcement agencies. together with the Western Cape Department of Community Safety, will continue to support NWs by providing equipment and training to further augment the strong partnership with the sector in our combined efforts to create and maintain safer communities,’ added Alderman Smith.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
