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The objective of this study was to explore existing insights on the use of Community Policing Forums (CPFs) for crime prevention, focusing on the Brooklyn police station in South Africa. With the adoption of the phenomenological research design and the qualitative research approach, about Ten (10) participants were selected purposively at the Brooklyn police station, various data collection methods, such as the documentary sources and unstructured face-to-face interviews, aided with the application of direct observation technique was employed. The inductive Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was employed for data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that the larger part of Brooklyn police station’s officials portrays a professional image despite this demanding career. However, participation on the ground level based on crime prevention actions is not always viable. By utilising the consulted studies and empirical data, three (03) recommendations for policy intervention are made. Firstly, respective communities should urgently avoid paying for the crime prevention private services to provide detailed crime information to the local SAPS. Secondly, the local ‘Private Security Companies’ should collaborate with the CPFs and SAPS to aid the failing crime prevention responsibilities, while working on the restoration of SAPS’s trust by the local community members. Thirdly, the SAPS management should consider persuasive strategies such as frequent education and training of community members and their officials [Undergoing refresher courses], relating to community safety initiatives and implementations of legislative frameworks and policies.

The South African Police Services (SAPS) has a constitutional responsibility to prevent, combat, and investigate crime that would naturally occur within communities. It therefore stands to reason that, if the police are to fullfil this responsibility, community members should be involved. This paper examines the phenomenon of lack of community involvement in the fight against stock theft in Dr. Pixley ka Isaka Seme Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. To achieve this objective, it was necessary to first determine the extent to which community in the Dr. Pixley ka Isaka Seme Municipality is involved in the fight against of stock theft. A qualitative research approach was adopted for this study with the use of semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect data. The sample consisted of 22 participants selected through purposive sampling, who included farmers, herdsmen, Community Police Forum members, and community leaders. The study found that the community in the Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Municipality is not involved in the fight against stock theft and that this could mainly be attributed to the poor relationship between the South African Police Service and the community. It was also found that there are no regular meetings taking place to ensure that there is a common understanding regarding various stakeholders’ responsibilities in an attempt to combat stock theft within the area of study. There are no awareness campaigns to discuss the stock theft trends in Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Municipality area between the police and the community.