What’s next for community policing in Cape Town?

Cape Town Central police station's community police forum (CPF) meeting addressed both significant recent successes in local policing and ongoing community concerns on Thursday, February 5.

Brigadier Gerda van Niekerk reported that the recent festive season was one of the "best in a long time," citing a marked decrease in robberies due to effective inter-agency teamwork.

Colonel Rajsingh Lutchman, the newly promoted section commander for detectives, formerly Lieutenant Colonel, highlighted successful December and January convictions for crimes including vehicle theft, drug possession, and common robbery, which resulted in various jail sentences.

Colonel Lutchman and Colonel Kevin Stephens, the station visible policing commander, also recently promoted from Lieutenant Colonel, were recognised for their hard work, each receiving a R500 grocery shopping voucher from the CPF.

CPF chairman Marc Truss congratulated the station on having two promotions.

Colonel Lutchman also announced that Gardens' vagrant couple, who had allegedly harassed residents in the area with loud, drunk arguments, defecating on their stoeps, and sometimes copulating in public, had been arrested ("Gardens residents seek protection against local couple," Atlantic Sun, October 16)

They appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Thursday, February 5, after being arrested on Wednesday, February 4.

An initial case was opened in May last year. 

"I understand there is now calm and not much interference, but they are in custody and will be in court this morning," he said. 

Francine Higham, councillor for Ward 77, said that part of the challenge for them to assist the couple was to find alternate accommodation. 

"We consistently offered them. They actually started on the Streetscapes programme (a non-profit organisation in Cape Town, dedicated to ending homelessness by growing better lives)," she said. 

Ms Higham confirmed that the City of Cape Town has secured an urgent interdict to prevent new structures at a critical site in District 6 near a school boundary.

She said the recurrence of rough sleepers, or those experiencing homelessness, was a challenge. She said that officers needed to be sensitised to dealing with them, recognising that they were not criminals

Crispian Swarbreck, chairman of the central business district (CBD) clinics cluster health committee, highlighted the work of the Family and Marriage Society of South Africa (FAMSA), a humanitarian group providing wound care, health support, and mental health services for rough sleepers.

FAMSA operates two hubs: one at the Methodist Church in Greenmarket Square and another at St Philip's Church in Chapel Street, District Six.

Both hubs are open Monday to Thursday, offering wound care, medication for those who have lapsed or defaulted on treatment, and mental health support with primary assessments where needed.

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