Questions you should think about daily...

We get used to our neighborhoods and we start taking the way they are for granted. But our Neighborhoods are full of signs - what are they telling us? 

THIS IS HOW TO LOOK AT FAMILIAR THINGS AND PLACES AND SEE THEM IN A NEW WAY. 

A simple example of an opportunity for bad things to happen : Street lights are broken, making it dangerous to walk at night  OR  the names of streets are missing, making it easy for visitors get lost.

THIS IS HOW TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR BAD THINGS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.

This is how to identify opportunities for good things to happen and help them happen. Eg. A vacant piece of land is used as a dumping site and meeting place for drug dealers and buyers. 

Question is... what else can this open piece of land be used for, and who could help you change it into something positive? 

When you are able to read the signs and identify opportunities for good and bad, you start thinking about ways to make your future better.

If you are an active citizen and you co-operate with partners such as the SAPS who respect your knowledge and experience... they will be interested in your suggestions to devise an intergrated safety plan.

Do you know how to identify all the potential resources in hour community? Ask yourself questions like : 

Who are the people who know something useful about your neighborhood... 

What kinds of special kinds of knowledge can a neighborhood group use to make the neighborhood a safe and livable place?

How many people in your community are sitting at home without a job, feeling frustrated when their skills can be put to good use for building the community?

Join Crime Busters RSA on whatsapp - send your name, surname and address to 063 215 9554 to be added to our Transition group currently on whatsapp, we will be moving to Telegram from end December 2019.

REMEMBER: Every individual has a point of view, and every organization has its role to play. Somethimes you will be able to make plans and solve problems without consulting anyone else, but that is unusual.

When there is an issue to be resolved, think carefully about what kind of knowledge and experience is needed to resolve the issue. Then think about who needs to be brought in as stakeholders or partners to help. 

NOTE : You are not in competition with other people. We are all fighting crime together. It is a good thing to ask other people from agencies or organizations for help. Different people and different organizations have different strengths, resources and expertise. It is important to respect what others can do for us to build a safe and liveable neighborhood.

LEARN HOW TO LISTEN WITH FULL AND RESPECTFUL ATTENTION!  

Disagreements between people are normal and natural, but they can quickly turn into a conflict situation. If conflicts arent resolved quickly they cause violence which harms people and damages property. There are simple ways of helping people in conflict to find peaceful solutions before they get to the point of violence. 

Neighborhood members should attend a conflict resolution course to empower them to handle situations professionally - If you can offer us a course on this for just a couple of members for free, Crime Busters RSA will empower its members to help stop violence in Pretoria North. Contact us via whatsapp on 063 215 9554 or email crimebustersrsa@gmail.com 

Always keep a reliable and useful record of all events or decisions. Because there are so many incidents that happen in Pretoria North, its a great idea to just write down all the details per incident - this must be done as fast as possible and without error. We must always report back to our community with credible information. This information must also be available to SAPS to assist with information gathering.

This also allows you to track the progress of every intervention (who, what, where and when) and to build up a database that you can refer to when recruiting new members. 

So, how do you communicate effectively with the community and other organizations? Keep clear and reliable records, keep info clear and legible. Keep to the protocol.

So what is Crime Busters RSA for? 

We are here to create awareness amoungst residents about criminal actions. You should know what to look for and when to report an issue. Its important that we train the community to be safe at home & on the street. 

How can you join our cause? Whatsapp your name, surname and home address to 063 215 9554!