Concerns over gangsterism and youth-related crime continue to trouble Cosmo City, with community leaders calling on parents, schools and residents to work more closely with law enforcement and the Community Policing Forum (CPF).
Gang-related activity has been a concern in the community for more than a decade. According to community leaders, some young people are drawn into groups because of bullying, peer pressure, fear and a desire for belonging.
While primary schools are generally perceived as safer environments, bullying can begin at a young age. Reports include children allegedly being forced to hand over small amounts of money in exchange for “protection”.
Concerns become more serious among older pupils and school dropouts, where incidents involving fights, robberies and weapons such as knives and pangas have been reported.
Community leaders say addressing the problem will require greater cooperation between parents, schools, police, the CPF and residents.
Councillor Lyborn Ndou said one of the biggest challenges is the reluctance of some residents to provide information about suspected offenders.
“It’s a pity the community, particularly parents, does not help the police and community patrol members. They know who the suspects are but do not help in identifying those gangsters among the community,” Ndou said.
He said poor attendance at community crime meetings was another concern.
According to Ndou, a recent crime imbizo attracted only seven community members.
“As long as parents are not attending the meetings, especially community crime awareness meetings, while defending their children, it will be difficult to win this fight,” he said.
Ndou called for school principals to work more closely with the CPF and South African Police Service (SAPS) to address the possession of dangerous weapons and drugs at schools.
He also encouraged parents to monitor their children and report serious concerns to the relevant authorities rather than concealing criminal behaviour.
CPF calls for residents to become involved
Cosmo City CPF leader Thabo Serage said police and CPF members have been actively involved in fighting crime, but argued that law enforcement cannot solve the problem without the participation of residents.
He identified absent parenting, poor communication, lack of discipline and insufficient parental or guardian involvement as some of the factors that may contribute to young people becoming involved in gangs and crime.
“People of Cosmo City should stand up, come together and be willing to fight crime,” Serage said.
He expressed concern that police and CPF members are sometimes accused of being ineffective or corrupt while residents with potentially useful information do not come forward.
Serage also appealed to parents to take responsibility when their children are accused of wrongdoing rather than automatically defending them.
He said another challenge facing the CPF is limited resources, with patrollers sometimes having to cover expenses such as fuel themselves.
According to Serage, only a small number of active community patrollers are currently available to assist the community, making greater resident participation particularly important.
He acknowledged that more still needs to be done by police, but maintained that residents must also play their part.
“Most cases are not reported, while other cases are dropped. We need to stop folding our hands and re-strategise on methods of combating crime in the Cosmo City community,” Serage concluded.
The message from both community leaders is that reducing gangsterism and youth crime will require a collective response involving families, schools, SAPS, the CPF and residents.