AfriForum\u2019s specialised response units \u2013 or proto teams \u2013 have grown by 18 members following the successful completion of the tenth proto team training course this week. This brings these units, which form the front line of AfriForum\u2019s neighbourhood watch response teams, to 180 members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The civil rights organisation\u2019s division for Community Safety offered this course to the 18 dedicated AfriForum neighbourhood watch volunteers. Neighbourhood watch members from Bronkhorstspruit, Midvaal, Roodepoort and Delmas completed this week\u2019s training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Proto team members\u2019 specialised training gives them an edge in terms of community safety and their knowledge of, among other things, hand-to-hand combat, bleeding control, securing scenes, setting up roadblocks and tactical firearms handling forms a critical part of their training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to proto team training, AfriForum also offers weekly online basic neighbourhood watch training. This training covers aspects such as crime scene handling, information gathering, legal aspects and house and home protection. More than 7 000 volunteers have successfully completed this training in the past two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this stage, AfriForum has 172 safety structures nationwide, which function with the help of almost 11 000 volunteers at community level, in neighbourhoods and in rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur proto teams are extremely successful in the fight against crime and are regularly approached by law enforcement agencies, such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), to assist them in operations,\u201d says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum\u2019s Chief Spokesperson for Community Safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfriForum is now focusing on accelerating the training of its neighbourhood watch members as the crime situation in the country is deteriorating drastically. That\u2019s why we will continue to provide our neighbourhood watch members with top-quality safety training. The SAPS itself has admitted that it is unable to fulfil its mandate and therefore it is essential for communities to be trained to protect themselves,\u201d concludes Broodryk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get involved in your local AfriForum neighbourhood watch. Visit\u00a0www.afriforumbuurtwag.co.za<\/a>\u00a0for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n