Members of the Fernpark Neighbourhood Watch with their award. From left, are chairperson Brenda Verheem, patrol manager Nina Koekemoer, secretary Willemien de Klerk, vice chairperson Charmaine Louw-Oosthuizen, project co-ordinator Dudley Pretorius and administrator Edwin van Wyk. Picture: Supplied.
The City has named the Fernpark Neighbourhood Watch, from Brackenfell, as the Neighbourhood Watch of the Year in the ceremony at the weekend.
The annual event held on Saturday November 23 recognised the contribution of neighbourhood watches to the safety of communities.
In September, the City called on the public to nominate accredited individual neighbourhood watch members or groups that have shown dedication in community safety and upliftment.
The adjudication panel reviewed the motivations, supporting evidence and feedback.
Four neighbourhood watches and eight individual awards were given at the event. The awards included the Courage in Action Award, the Organisational Excellence Award and the Crime Fighter of the Year among others.
The City said the Fernpark Neighbourhood Watch’s implementation of a surveillance system, featuring 30 strategically placed cameras, which are monitored by volunteers and SAPS, had significantly reduced local crime rates.
The members had also contributed more than 1 200 patrol hours annually, the City added.
Fernpark Neighbourhood Watch chairperson Brenda Verheem praised their volunteers, the community, armed response teams, the community police forum and law enforcement agencies for their collaborative efforts.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said: “The awards are a token of our appreciation for the work they do and a salute to their bravery and dedication. They support our enforcement departments and help us build stronger neighbourhoods.”