GOOD party leader Patricia de Lille swooped into Retreat on Sunday to discuss safety and security in the area ahead of the 29 May elections.
Residents gathered at the Square Hill Hall and voiced their issues.
Auntie Pat tells the Daily Voice people are stressed out, saying: “They know best what kind of solutions they’re looking for, because, I know every quarter we release statistics but that is good for planning and budgeting.
“But what is more important is that people must feel safe in their homes, churches and schools. People don’t feel safe, women and children. You always have to look behind you.
“We must see how the community can get involved for their own safety.
“I intend to listen and not make promises.
“When it comes to safety we have our personal responsibility to do things for ourselves, but also there is a role of the police.
“Good believes putting more boots on the ground is not only the solution. You also have to look at the social economic conditions under which people are living.
“We need a lot of social workers to deal with children from a young age.”
The residents highlighted that they once had safety programmes and equipment, but it all ended when councillors changed and there was a demarcation.
Retreat Steenberg Civic Association chairperson Mark Solomons said: “One of the biggest programmes we started as a community was 11 years ago.
“We asked the officials if they could monitor a park in Lavender Hill, but no one helped. We then installed CCTV cameras and had a control room at the hall.
“We proved it could work and we said we wanted to show the government that we could do it.
“We had a small camera system, we installed two. That project was halted when a new councillor came into the ward and said this side was no longer in their ward.”
Among the speakers was axed Heathfield High School principal Wesley Neumann who said the area needed more activists.
He explains: “Our communities need activists, we need to go back to the civics, to sports organisations, and school governing bodies (SGB).
“If we don’t do that we are going to be in the same place as now and maybe worse in five years.”