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RESIDENTS of the area within Kloof referred to as Krantzview Sector 6 have partnered with Blue Security to further strengthen planned Kloof Community Policing Forum security initiatives. The recent launch of a new Krandtzview dedicated vehicle, followed by the deployment of number plate recognition cameras and selected guarding sites, will significantly contribute towards minimising preventable crime.
Blue Security project manager Keith du Randt said the suburb had experienced an increase in crime, leading to concerned residents engaging with the Kloof CPF who, in turn, had approached local security companies for a solution. “Our phased security proposal, coupled with a strong track record of community driven projects and excellent resource capabilities in the greater Kloof footprint, was adopted by the residents and endorsed by the committee.”
“We are proud to be partnering with the residents of S6 and know from experience that the introduction of a dedicated vehicle to patrol a suburb transforms the profile of the area into one that becomes more difficult for criminals to thrive in. It also strengthens proactive policing and allows for more effective information gathering and dissemination between residents, the patrol vehicle and the committee,” he said.
The area covered by the project includes Krantzview Road, Winston Road, Fairview Road and Marievale Drive as main roads in the footprint and also the Thomas More College area.
“The project includes the installation of three automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) street surveillance cameras in Krantzview Road, Marievale Drive and Pioneer Road, as well as guard huts in Krantzview Road, Patrick Duncan Road, Fairview Road and Winston Road,” du Randt said.
This would provide the company with additional eyes on the ground to enable its armed response vehicle to respond swiftly to investigate any suspicious vehicles or activity picked up on the network in the footprint.
Kloof CPF chairwoman Nikki Mohlmann said the policing forum had analysed the types of crime impacting different parts of the suburb over the past four months and realised that these were similar, so it had made sense for residents to join forces to start the project.
She said the project was based on a special rates area (SRA) model although it was not actually an SRA initiative. “With the street guarding and cameras it will have all the benefits of being an SRA but managed by the CPF. It will be unique and will give residents peace of mind,” she said.
Mohlmann said the aim had been to cover the entrances and exits to the suburb with security guards and cameras which are all linked together on a radio communication network. She said the security company’s cameras were also linked to several ANPR cameras that had already been operating in the neighbourhood. “We will have one dedicated vehicle and, as the project grows, we will extend it down to the gorge. We are doing the project in phases and the idea is that if someone comes into Kloof they can be followed from point to point,” Mohlmann said. She added that it was important for residents, who are also connected on WhatsApp groups where any suspicious activity can be reported, to work together in the fight against crime. -Supplied
