Pretoria - Business and civil society organisations in the North West have called for increased police visibility in the province's hotspots to help eradicate crime.
The proposal was made on Friday during the presentation of the 2010/11 Annual Crime Statistics Analysis Report to stakeholders in Taung.
They wanted to see a return to the crime prevention strategies that were successfully implemented during the 2010 Football World Cup.
Delivering a speech on behalf of the MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety & Liaison, Desbo Mohono, the acting Head of Department for the Public Safety Branch (PSB), Bailey Mahlakoleng, said although an analysis of statistics showed progress had been made in fighting crime, efforts needed to be intensified to engender activism in communities to reclaim their streets and neighbourhoods from the hands of heartless criminals.
"Too much talk and less action will not assist us achieve a safer North West province. Strengthening our ties with communities and with relevant stakeholders for activism against crime... will assist us to have criminals forever on their back foot... No part of our province should be safe for criminals."
While acknowledging that there were certain types of crime that were still a challenge, Mohono said the progress was encouraging.
"Even those who have been criticising are welcoming efforts as shown by the presented numbers."
The figures showed a decrease in stock theft by 13% during the period April 2010 to March 2011. Both burglary at businesses and robberies dropped by 7% across the province, with a remarkable decline in crime registered in the Brits Cluster, which had recorded increases in all crime categories during the 2009/2010 financial year.
The Provincial Community Policing Board (PCPB) called for crime prevention efforts and capacity building among Community Policing Forums (CPF) to be strengthened to ensure a further decline in the scourge of crime across the province.
Mohono further noted a drop in contact crime by 6%. However, she said there were areas that still required focused attention. She committed that her department would do its best to reach the national annual target of reducing all serious crimes by 4% - 7%.
Deputy Provincial Commissioner for SAPS, Major-General William Mpembe, said the police would work closely with the PSB and PCPB to revive dysfunctional CPFs.
Mpembe also called on municipalities to equip communities to fight crime.
