Learning objectives for this section:
● Understanding what is meant by the 'foundations' of a safe neighbourhood
●Recognising decline & decay in the well-being of your neighbourhood
●Understanding community mapping
To understand what a safe neighbourhood is, we need to think about some foundational concepts and ask ourselves some key questions.
1. What is the purpose of a neighbourhood watch? Why do i want to become part of Crime Busters RSA Neighbourhood Area Assistance?
Working in a neighbourhood watch structure will help make the community a safer place.
2. When we mean a 'safer place' what do we mean? A place where we feel free to work, play and learn in peace and safety.
3. What is the greatest strength we bring to this work? Our knowledge of our neighbourhood and its people, and their combined commitment to their safety.
4. How do we use our local knowledge to build neighbourhood safety? There are many ways of making or keeping our neighbourhood safe as there are people with different interests, talents and strengths, by knowing these, we can work with our community.
5. Can we do all this work on our own? NO, we need SAPS, Metro, Municipal services, Churches, CPF's, Schools, etc. We need to get to know them in-case we need them. The more we know about peoples strengths, the more useful we can be as partners.
SIGNS OF YOUR COMMUNITY GOING BACKWARDS
Some areas are in a worse condition than others, more unsafe and more depressed.
Some simple signs or markers that make people feel uneasy or unsafe in such places.
Here are some of the signs we have observed:
litter on the streets
faded road markings
missing drain covers
street names removed
blocked drains and leaks
buildings in a state of disrepair
broken windows on buildings
gang markings and graffiti
broken bottles & glass in areas where children walk / play
If it looks like nobody cares – it will just get worse... and anything can happen.
If community members don’t take pride in their spaces, by keeping it clean and tidy, they are normally also not concerned if the following happens: Drinking in public, Parks are taken over by drug dealers, Abandoned cars, Harassment by beggars, Peaceful citizens staying off the streets… and so the cycle continues until gangsters and opportunists rule the public spaces of the neighbourhood, residents stay home, visitors are afraid, children bunk school, businesses close and jobs disappear.
Identifying and thinking about the process of step-by-step decay and deterioration is known as the broken window theory.
The broken windows theory is a criminological theory that states that visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior, and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes.
The theory assumes that: There’s a broken window on a street that doesn’t get fixed quickly... soon neglect becomes like an infection... now people just let things slide... it is the sign that they don’t care about the own neighbourhood.
COMMUNITY MAPPING
Community mapping is useful in helping us understand how different members of a community see and experience the space and context they live in.
Community mapping helps us identify the strengths and weaknesses of a community and think of suggestions to improve how the community works, both spatially and socially.
Read more: http://crimebustersrsa.blogspot.com/2019/10/create-maps-of-community-explore.html
What is spatially social or spatiality social?
Spatially means existing or occurring in a space or geographical area, living in a specific space or area and what happens in it.
Socially means being in the company of others, especially for pleasure; the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society.
Maps are visual representations of geographic information. They can show information such as schools, roads, churches, clinics, police stations and where taverns or water points are in an informal settlement. Community maps also help show important information about how space is used. Sometimes if you look at a space to map it, you have a chance to visualise a better future, or to understand something from a different point of view.
We can start this process by looking closely at the places that we know best and where we want to make the biggest difference.
Making our own maps can help to bring out important information about a space or to understand something about the place having to overview.
If you have any ideas on DIY home security, or tips on how to prevent home burglaries / safety tips please send your suggestions to crimebustersrsa@gmail.com and we’ll publish and credit the author.
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