Community activists from the former Mitchell’s Plain police cluster, including volunteers with years of service, experience and expertise, are working to help police finding missing people.
The cluster included Mitchell’s Plain, Lentegeur, Strandfontein, Steenberg, Grassy Park, Lansdowne, Athlone and Philippi police stations.
The Collective Missing Persons Unit, a non-profit organisation, includes former cluster chairwoman Lucinda Evans, gender activist and founder Philisa Abafazi Bethu (isiXhosa for “Heal Our Women”); former Mitchell’s Plain Community Police Forum (CPF) chairman Abie Isaacs, now chairman of the Cape Flats Safety Forum; Lynn Phillips, co-ordinator of the Mitchell’s Plain child rapid response unit (CRRU) and secretary of the forum; current chairman of Lentegeur CPF Byron de Villiers; and Strandfontein Community Police Forum (CPF) chairwoman Sandy Schuter Flowers.
The collective has been in planning since February and was launched at Lentegeur police station on Thursday June 27.
Ms Phillips said the CRRU was started with the search for 11-year-old Annestacia Wiese, who was assaulted and murdered in Mitchell’s Plain in 2007.
She said since then volunteers have been working together and have honed their passion and commitment to helping their communities.
“In this room is a wealth of experience and expertise which has come a long way. We would like to keep the momentum going and use your knowledge and streetwise attitude to help the communities on the Cape Flats,” she said.
Mr De Villiers said they would like to give volunteers a toolkit and have up to 50 men and women on call when needed.
He said some volunteers have been trained as first responders in first aid by emergency medical services (EMS) and that CPF partners at police stations will also work together to support and ensure the correct information is captured and disseminated.
Mr De Villiers said they have partnered with K9 Academy, an independent dog training club.
They would be engaging with government departments and businesses to better support the unit.
“We will go wherever we are need beyond the borders of Mitchell’s Plain and we will be speaking to the provincial police commissioner to perhaps help set up units in other areas,” he said.
The City of Cape Town donated boots for the volunteers. They are also due to receive T-shirts, jumpsuits, first aid kits and safety equipment.
They have a vehicle to transport volunteers to different areas but may need donations to cover other expenses.
Ms Evans said they have a psychologist on board to help volunteers debrief and work through their trauma whether on scene or after working on particular cases.
“There may be scenes which trigger traumatic experiences and we would like to help you through those circumstances,” she said.
She said wellness was important to volunteers and those they helped.
“There will be a specific focus on data collection and reporting.
“There will be a template to help file a missing person form, which will help the police to circulate information and perhaps call on further assistance,” said Ms Evans.
She said volunteers needed to attend training and workshops.
“We cannot afford to make costly mistakes and that time was of the essence when it came to finding missing people,” she said.