Violence-free zones for women

Violence-free zones for women 
9 October 2012

A new domestic violence prevention programme is being run by the Cape Town metro police and the Safety Lab. The Safety Lab is supported by the Cape Town Partnership and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and has a mandate to reduce opportunity for crime across the Western Cape and functions as an ideas lab to identify, and find innovative safety and security solutions to crime in the Western Cape. The Centre of Criminology is participating in the Safety Lab Project through providing consulting and research support.

The Cape Times reports on the goal of this new domestic violence prevention programme to provide violence-free zones for women.

Bonteheuwel and Temperance Town, next to Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, have been selected for the pilot project.

Yolanda Faro, the deputy metro police chief, and Gil Lang from Safety Lab briefed the city’s safety and security portfolio committee on the plan on Thursday. The metro police would choose between six and 10 officers to serve as “community engagers”, tasked with identifying role models in the community who residents affected by domestic violence could call on.

To access the article click here.