Nominations open for neighbourhood watch awards

The City has opened nominations for its annual Neighbourhood Watch Awards.

The awards present an opportunity to highlight the good work in the sector, and the positive contribution that neighbourhood watches make to public safety.

Members of the public can nominate individual watch members or groups who they believe have shown exceptional performance.

“Cape Town has a thriving neighbourhood watch community who are a critical force multiplier in our efforts to build safer communities,” said mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith.

“The City, along with the Western Cape Department of Community Safety, provides ongoing support to the sector through training and the donation of equipment, as well as regular engagements to maintain the strong partnerships we have built over the years.

“The Neighbourhood Watch Awards are designed to recognise the hard work of the men and women who give their time and effort to make their communities, and our city, a safer place,” he added.

The categories for the individual awards are:

• Neighbourhood Watch member of the Year
• Organisational Excellence: for excellence in neighbourhood management.
• Mobiliser of the Year: for exceptional efforts to encourage and grow communities in support of safety.
• Inspiration of the Year: a Neighbourhood Watch leader who has displayed inspirational public leadership, across several neighbourhood watch areas, in support of community safety and the greater public good.
• Crime Fighter of the Year: for exceptional, selfless, professional and committed service, in the fight against crime.
• Courage in Action: in recognition of sustained NW operations in the face of highly compromised community safety, like drug activity or gang violence.

The categories for neighbourhood watch teams consist of:

• NW Group of the Year: an organisation that upholds, with outstanding achievement, the purpose of safeguarding its members and property.
• Broken Window Award: in recognition of exceptional efforts towards a clean, healthy and safe environment.
• Social Responsibility Award: in recognition of a commitment to addressing mitigating and healing social ills, towards healthier, inclusive and united communities.
• Courage in Action Group Award: in recognition of sustained NW operations in the face of highly compromised community safety.

Details of the nomination process and an easy-to-follow guide are available online at https://bit.ly/NW-Awards2021

Residents can only nominate neighbourhood watch members or teams that are accredited with the Western Cape Department of Community Safety or who have formally submitted their application for accreditation.

Completed nomination forms should be submitted to nw.awards@capetown.gov.za by Thursday September 23.