To the valued members of the Laudium community,
The Laudium CPF leadership is issuing this statement to provide clarity regarding our statutory role and address a persistent misunderstanding about our duties, particularly concerning street patrols and crime fighting.
Our Statutory Mandate: Liaison, Not Patrol
It is a common, but incorrect, assumption that the CPF’s primary duty is to patrol streets and physically intervene to combat crime. We wish to clearly define our legally mandated function as set out by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Act:
The Laudium CPF is primarily a statutory liaison body. Our core function is to facilitate and maintain a strong, co-operative partnership between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the community we serve.
Our duties include:
1.Oversight and Accountability: Monitoring the quality of police service delivery and holding SAPS accountable to the community.
2.Strategic Planning: Working with SAPS to identify local policing needs, priorities, and joint strategies.
3.Community Mobilisation: Encouraging community participation in various safety and awareness initiatives.
The Role of Crime Fighting and Patrols
We must emphasize that fighting crime and responding to emergencies remains the core, primary mandate of the SAPS.
The CPF leadership cannot be held responsible or criticized for the overall crime rate, the lack of police action, or specific operational failures, as these fall directly under the SAPS's operational command. Our role is to ensure the SAPS is performing its duty effectively by conveying community concerns.
Honouring Our Patrollers
We want to distinguish between the statutory function of the CPF body (liaison) and the invaluable work of the Community Patrollers
We are incredibly proud to support and coordinate the many dedicated Neighbourhood Watch and CPF Patroller volunteers. These brave individuals selflessly dedicate their time to walking, driving, and being the extra eyes and ears on the ground. However, their patrolling activity is a voluntary community-led initiative operating under the CPF banner, not a statutory obligation of the CPF itself.
We urge the community to understand and respect this distinction. Our power lies in our partnership and our ability to hold the correct authorities accountable.
Let us continue to work together, supporting the SAPS and our dedicated patrollers, while focusing the CPF’s energy on its core function: being the strong, clear voice of the community.
Laudium CPF
