Date posted: February 13, 2020

Dear Neighbours,

Crime Update

We are delighted to have recorded another very quiet month in the neighbourhood, with no incidents of crime recorded. Unfortunately however, we did become aware of an armed robbery in the vicinity of the Kakapo wreck on 7 February and we again warn everyone against walking on the beach with valuables and encourage everyone to inform visitors of this danger.

Wetland Fires – Check your Hydrants!

We were saddened to hear of the loss of some stables and outbuildings in the first of the series of wetlands fires that have taken place but are pleased to report that the horses had been evacuated and that no-one was hurt and no houses were damaged. Thank you to everyone who assisted with moving animals and with support for the firefighters.

The fires have been a timely reminder of our vulnerability in this respect and we would urge everyone to read our communications regarding checking fire hydrants and to regularly check your properties for other hazards such as piles of dried garden waste and other flammable material close to structures.

New Security Provider – Deep Blue Security

We are very excited to be able to recommend Deep Blue Security (DBS), to you, as a dedicated security provider in our area. We would encourage you to look carefully at the services they offer and to strongly consider contracting with Deep Blue Security for security services in your home as well as in our area, as per the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between CPNW and DBS that is referred to in the customer agreement. (We would also, of course be very grateful if you would also agree to add a R30 monthly voluntary CPNW donation to your payments, which will be transferred to CPNW – for an account of how this money is used, please go to:  CPNW Funding (pdf - size: 66KB))

If you would like more information about the thinking and processes leading to CPNW’s decision to recommend DBS, please have a look at: CPNW - Deep Blue Endorsement Process (pdf - size: 127KB), on our website.

Since our origins as the Keep Noordhoek Safe association we have pursued three particular strategies that we feel have been critical to our relative success in controlling crime in our area, these are:

• A Whole of Community Approach: We believe that our biggest strength arises from our capacity to work in unison to prevent crime. This includes actions such as: us each taking responsibility for ensuring that our homes are not easy targets, developing relationships with neighbours so that we can all feel that there is always help nearby, establishing communication networks so that we can quickly communicate any potential crime hazards and respond collectively, and using our collective power to address particular issues.


• A collective approach to Security Services: We have shown that collective bargaining with a Security Provider provides huge benefits in terms of services that are dedicated to our area alone. This has evolved from the initial success of securing a response vehicle that remained in the area, to additional dedicated patrolling services and now, we hope, to a bespoke service that not only provides dedicated response and patrolling but also camera monitoring of vulnerable points, as well as strategic responses to particular crime problems that may arise.


• Constantly improving our capacity to prevent crime: We understand that as people everywhere increase security measures, criminals quickly learn to overcome these and soon take advantage of vulnerable areas. As a result we have tried to constantly improve on what we are doing and, whether it has been with the introduction of Licence Plate Recognition camera’s, the dedicated night patrol vehicle, or the Response Teams, every time we have implemented a new strategy this has been followed by a clear decrease in crime prevalence in the area. A key next strategy that we have been working on, is the use of advanced camera and analytic technology to better monitor vulnerable parts of our area for the presence of criminals.

It is on this basis that we believe that a partnership with Deep Blue Security will form an integral part of our plans for an even safer area in the future. We believe that Deep Blue is uniquely suited to playing such a role for the following reasons:

• They are a relatively small, local company that has established itself by developing a locally specific, hands-on approach to security in a focussed area.


• They are in a critical phase of their growth plan which is reliant on proving success in our area.


• Their key strategy involves providing security to an entire neighbourhood via a collective approach includes the standard alarm monitoring and response services to households but also focuses on broader crime prevention strategies for the whole neighbourhood.


• This commitment is encapsulated in the SLA, signed with CPNW which constitutes part of the individual agreements signed with every DBS customer in the area.


• The SLA not only guarantees the presence of dedicated vehicles with performance monitoring in conjunction with CPNW, but also assures transparency in pricing and in negotiations over future increases.


• DBS offers competitive pricing that has already had a significant disruptive effect on established security pricing in the area.


• Through the use of analytic technology and the development of “virtual patrolling” systems DBS have radically increased their capacity for surveillance in areas where they provide services.

We will be sending out copies of the signed SLA and contract information, with this newsletter, for your convenience, although Deep Blue will also be holding an information session at the Community Centre (NCC) on 19 February at 18h00, their sales people will be visiting houses in the area over the next few weeks and their area manager will be available at the NCC every evening from 1600-1800 next week to assist anyone needing help and to answer any queries.

You will also notice their members conducting surveillance of the area and in the near future setting up camera systems.

ADT

Please be assured that we will continue to represent the interests of those who choose to remain with ADT, with whom we continue to liaise. We are pleased to note that all security providers in the area are clear that full cooperation with one another, when it comes to security concerns is a non-negotiable and this is something that we will ensure is upheld.

Wishing everyone a safe month!

The CPNW Committee