STILBAAI NEWS - In celebration of youth month, the police kicked off a special weekend with a father and son bonding breakfast on Saturday 15 June and ended with a youth service on Sunday 16 June.

The aim of the project was to restore fatherhood at home and church. Guest speaker, Dr Julian Claassen, who holds a PhD in Philosophy, is a specialist in crime prevention strategies. 

Apart from providing career advice, he works in partnership with the police, the Department of Social Development, Badisa and a number of NGOs to reach out to communities. By explaining different concepts such as community, youth and child development, he builds safer communities by helping them to understand and prevent youth crime before it occurs.

He is of the opinion that youth crime is caused by a range of social, political, developmental, economic and other factors. He believes that it is essential that as many people as possible become involved in efforts to prevent crime. Since youth development is central in the reconstruction and development of their community, it is imperative that considerable attention and energy be focused on prevention of crime that affects young people and impacts on their development as productive citizens.

Working hand in hand with the police improves service delivery, builds trust and promote joint problem identification, prioritization and problem-solving. Young people need platforms to share their ideas about what they can do to prevent youth from committing a crime and becoming victims of crime.

Youth need information on how they can contribute to creating safer communities where they can become involved in positive and practical ways.

Claassen, as well as Stilbaai police, emphasized that all local churches and partnerships should take ownership of their communities and to address the root causes of crime. "Break the silence and report crime," said Sgt. Chrisy Lewaks, community safety coordinator. She also encouraged young people to join the Youth Desk and to report all elements that prevent them from making a success of their lives.

There was a request from the partners that this project must be sustainable to address the social problems in the community, and the police thanked Claassen, SPAR, Ouma Lena se Huis and all other partners who contribute to creating a safer community.

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