At least 2 100 volunteers will be recruited and trained in KwaZulu-Natal by police officers from the United Kingdom to build up a front against crime before the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the KwaZulu-Natal department of community safety and liaison said on Wednesday.
Project coordinator Nhlakanipho Mahlaba said that R35-million had been allocated for the ”volunteer social crime prevention project”.
The volunteers, he said, would form an additional wing to the police force and would not carry firearms or have powers to arrest wrongdoers.
”They will counsel victims of crime, provide first aid, and identify elements that led to crimes … among other things,” he said.
He said 1 200 volunteers had already been trained by the UK’s Greater Manchester Police and the number of volunteers would increase to 2 100 over the build-up to the tournament in 2010.
Bongiwe Malebese, the programme manager, said: ”The invariable outcome of this project would be a reduction in social crime, a corresponding reduction in the fear of crime and the ultimate promotion of KwaZulu-Natal as a safe place for communities, tourists and businesses.”
The key objective, she said, was driving social crime prevention. Volunteers are chosen through an identification process in various municipalities and community policing forums.
”Nominated volunteers in the six districts [Ethekwini, Ugu and Umgungundlovu, Uthukela, Amajuba and Umkhanyakude] have since been trained in basic first aid, self defence and local context by the training officials from the Greater Manchester Police. This is done in consultation with the South African Police Service as the deployment will take place in areas with the highest levels of criminal activities,” Malabese said.
The volunteers would be wearing black and white uniforms with the department logo on it and would be reimbursed for expenses, she said.
The project will be launched at the Ashley Sports Ground in Pinetown on Thursday at 9am. – Sapa