In our community, an exceptional group of individuals, both from non-profit and private security teams, has been instrumental in ensuring our safety. Their ongoing struggle against crime persists as long as the demand for job opportunities exceeds the available positions. This challenge was further compounded by the influx of individuals brought in during the 2018/19 Schulpphoek riots by the Zwelishle Renewal group.
The current situation is significantly challenging our response teams due to several critical factors. Three of these factors pertain to the time it takes for information about criminal activity to reach all responders, their ability to respond promptly to the calls, and their effectiveness in providing support.
The three areas that we have assisted in addressing are as follows:
CAMERAS
Sandbaai Forum facilitated discussions between CU Live and the Schulphoek Action Group (SAG) in July 2023 to take on the active monitoring of their security cameras. These cameras primarily focus on the Schulphoek access road and the Schulphoek land where illegal squatters have established makeshift shacks.
As a goodwill gesture, CU Live commited to provide this monitoring service entirely free of charge to our Sandbaai Community.
COLLABORATION
The second step in enhancing the success rate of our crime-fighting efforts was to secure the commitment of all our responders. A meeting was organized by Sandbaai Forum at the Sandbaai Cottage on September 5th, 2023, attended by SAG, Sandbaai Neighbourhood Watch, and most of the private security companies. During this meeting, the initiative's scope was discussed, and all parties shared their perspectives on the challenges and the foundation for how the collaboration would be carried out. Gerhard Visagie from National Crime Assist has been assigned the task of further facilitating this initiative during the six-month implementation phase, ensuring that all teething problems are resolved.
FOCUS POINTS
The Schulphoek border and Branderdraai have been identified as the two most critical hotspots requiring increased monitoring. Additionally, other significant hotspots were identified where additional cameras will be installed. These digital surveillance tools will supply essential information to our responders, and in conjunction with our community's Spotter Eyes program, we aim to enhance response times and ultimately reduce crime rates as much as possible.
ALL HANDS ON DECK
The primary objective of this initiative is to provide our response teams with the quickest means of communication, both among themselves and with residents. Your participation is absolutely vital to the success of this effort. They truly need your support. This is a collective endeavor, and we strongly encourage you to register as a resident of Sandbaai on sandbaaiforum.co.za to gain access to the Blue and Red group links. You can find more information about the Sandbaai CSI project on our community website, sandbaaiforum.co.za.
Let's work together to transform Sandbaai into a crime-free area where children can enjoy playing in our parks, people can stroll along our beautiful coastal paths without worry, and everyone can sleep peacefully at night.
It's an all-hands-on-deck effort.
