The female officers of Malvern SAPS recently made their presence felt by conducting a Women’s Day roadblock on Sarnia Road, Roosfontein.
Scores of residents along with members of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) joined Malvern SAPS to create a roadblock whereby pamphlets were handed out to motorists. Lieutenant Colonel Valarine Reddy, Malvern SAPS Station Commander, said: “We put this roadblock together to honour Women’s Day because women are outstanding and they need to be appreciated. I have a terrific staff of women at our station and we ensure that we make our presence felt in our community.” Reddy joined her team on the road to talk to motorists about crime, hints and tips to stay safe. “We used this opportunity to make sure everyone was wearing a mask and sanitising regularly especially if they have other passengers in their vehicles. We issued pamphlets on ‘break the silence’ on domestic violence and sexual offences. Our CPF and community patrollers came out to support our drive by displaying banners and posters with ‘say no to gender-based violence’ and ‘stop bullying’.”
Reddy said they also took the opportunity to address the issue of school bullying. “Many of our children fall prey to bullying while other children are the perpetrators. We must educate our community about how to handle these issues so that our children don’t need to fear going to school,” she added. Sergeant Sthembile Kheswa, Malvern SAPS Communications Officer, said the visibility drive was well received by both the residents and motorists. She said domestic violence and gender-based violence is a huge issue in our society, which is why the community and officers in blue came out to support this initiative. “We need to break the silence on domestic violence and encourage those affected by this scourge to come forward and speak out. We need to stand together in order to fight against the atrocities that our society feels on a daily basis. We wish to thank members of the public for providing us with their continuous support to keep our community safe,” said Kheswa.
