AfriForum’s neighbourhood watch response units are growing

AfriForum’s Community Safety Division presented its ninth proto team training course this past week. The 26 students who participated in the course are all volunteers of a AfriForum neighbourhood watch.

Proto team members are the so-called spearhead of AfriForum’s neighbourhood watch response teams and receive specialised training that includes hand-to-hand combat, medical training, securing scenes and tactical firearms handling.

The organisation has trained 160 proto team members to date. AfriForum also offers weekly basic neighbourhood watch training that includes aspects such as crime scene handling, information gathering, legal aspects and home and hearth protection. Over the past two years, more than 7 000 volunteers have completed this training.

AfriForum has 168 safety structures nationwide with almost 11 000 volunteers.

“Our proto teams regularly achieve great successes in the fight against crime. Just a few weeks ago, our proto team in Brits played a major role in arresting four farm attackers,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s spokesperson for Community Safety.

“AfriForum is in the process of accelerating and further expanding the training of its neighbourhood watch members. We will continue to provide our neighbourhood watch members with top quality safety training. The South African Police Service is unable to fulfil its mandate and therefore it is extremely important for communities to be trained to protect themselves.

“We are very proud and grateful to all our members who volunteer to help secure their communities and would like to invite anyone who is interested in playing an active role in the safety of their community to get involved,” concludes Broodryk.

Get involved with your local AfriForum neighbourhood watch at www.afriforumbuurtwag.co.za.