Bulelwa Payi
THE Grahamstown police may be seen as “guardian angels” by black school students soon, if an “adoption” programme succeeds.
The local police have come up with an innovative idea to win the trust of black students — they are encouraging them to “adopt-a-cop”.
The project should be launched later this month.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer George Green said this week the police had already sold the idea to the Congress of South African Students (Cosas).
“They have identified one school where the project will start but we are hoping that other schools will follow suit,” he said.
The students at Ntsika Senior Secondary school will identify a policeman they want to “adopt”. They will invite the cop to school functions; report on any problems and the cop will then try and help.
The police spokesman said the project aimed at making the cop like a “guardian, who would be involved in community activities. We want the students to feel that the police are there for them,” Green said.
The police have planned a workshop on August 13 to discuss and refine the idea. Green said the police would then be seen as partners of the community and that the students would see them as “guardian angels”. — Ecna