Police reach out to Table View

What looked like stalls from a market on the grounds of Table View Police Station turned out to be a community outreach programme on Friday, October 10.

However, it was poorly attended, said Table View Police spokeswoman Captain Adriana Chandler, as she highlighted that these kinds of initiatives are of utmost importance to the surrounding community, as they allow residents to connect with various community organisations that could be beneficial to everyone.

According to the register, about 50 people popped in on the day.

The outreach programmes are held annually at the police station, and organisations are invited based on the needs of the community and according to crime statistics provided for the area.

Captain Chandler could be seen certifying documents from passersby, but not many of them bothered to visit the other gazebos.

Ms Chandler said the police station also hosts various programmes, such as their most recent initiative that involves youth in the community.

The station has a junior station commander, Parklands resident Owethu Munyangane, 16, and junior Vispol commander, Keanan Auret, 17, of Table View, who were elected and tasked with the challenge of raising awareness in their schools and schools in the community.

Their campaigns include raising awareness about teenage pregnancy, bullying, and substance abuse.

Owethu said she wanted to help people in her community, which is why she became part of the youth initiative.

Keanan said he volunteered because he believes that if he offered up his free time to host the various initiatives, it would benefit the community in the long term and for future generations.

The Table View CPF handed out pamphlets; the chairman, Mr David Harris, and Sector 2 secretary, Cordina Wallace, were present and ready to answer any questions residents had.

The Parliament of South Africa was also present; their representatives, Morgan Pillay and Pulane Mahlasela, engaged with residents about the proposed Section 76 Marriage Bill, which is currently being advertised for public participation.

Tabletalk saw some people, especially the younger generation, interested in this specific participation process.

The next stall, The Living Legends Table View Seniors Club, was at the outreach programme as they wanted to make people aware that they help elderly people in Table View who are alone and have no one to talk to, said club chairwoman Betz Maritz.

The CIC is a non-profit organisation that provides 24-hour trauma support. At the event, their representative, Angelique De Sousa, gave attendees information about the work they do.

For more information on the trauma counselling, victim-support groups, and awareness programmes, call the CIC’s emergency number at 082 821 3447 or the office number at 061 403 5316.

Law enforcement officers Sergeant Shane Pretorius and Constable Adnaan Brink attended the event to address traffic concerns and issues in the Table View precinct, which, according to them, is a major issue. However, many attendees walked past their gazebo.

TLC Outreach Projects founder Colleen Pietersen has been running the organisation for the past 28 years, working closely with police by running various training and support programmes for troubled youth and the homeless.

Ms Pietersen shared her concerns about the poor turnout and said she was at the event to speak to the community about the “continuous gender-based violence support” that TLC provides.

She said the new initiative that the organisation is working on is #MenMatters, which will target men who are also in abusive relationships.

“Through our work, we found that the statistics are high regarding GBV in women, but there are quite concerning reports on abuse against men too,” she said.

Call 021 204 4575 or 083 658 4032, or visit www.tlcprojects.org.za to find out more about the organisation.

For entertainment purposes, a live band made up of police officers had some of the attendees dancing to their tunes.