Date posted: May 16, 2023
Dear Neighbours,Recovered Bicycle
Since our last newsletter, we have received news of two incidents of crime in our area. In the first of these, a bicycle was reported stolen from a garage in Oak Street on April 7, possibly by someone doing casual work on the property. Subsequent reporting to SAPS led to quick results as they were able to act, based on information from an informant in Masiphumelele, and recover the bicycle!
Whilst we can sometimes be a little cynical about reporting crime to SAPS, we always encourage it, as the policing resources allocated to our local police station are determined by the number of reports. There are also some very good officers in our precinct who manage to do an amazing job despite the overall weaknesses of policing in our country.
Paintball Gun Incidents
The second incident involved reports of cars being shot at, with a paintball gun on the late afternoon/earl evening of Saturday 13 May, on Beach Road, somewhere between Millstone Close and Heldray Road. Damage to the vehicles revealed that the shots seem to have come from the southern side of the road. Aside from the damage to the cars, including chipped glass in a side-window and paint damage, the potential for causing more severe bodily hard, or even an accident makes this kind of behaviour both serious and criminal.
We would like to think that any mature adult living in our area would not be prone to such reckless behaviour (and also that the perpetrator was not from Chapman’s Peak) but anyone who does own a paintball gun in the area, may want to consider whether it was “borrowed” over the weekend.
Community Connector Groups - Appeal
We have been actively promoting our Community Connector initiative but so far with little joy. For members of the 25 or so groups that do exist (some are still getting going), a connector group is a total no-brainer, and we suspect others exist organically in any case. Why would you not want to have a bunch of your closest neighbours on a WhatsApp group?
Of course, it does require good behaviour from everyone and perhaps a firm hand in the admin role, but it really shouldn’t be too hard for a bunch of neighbours to communicate. Who wouldn’t be glad to hear that the neighbour’s alarm going off was just an accident, that we aren’t the only one concerned by a howling dog in the night, and to know that everyone is connected by at least one channel to the CPNW and our security service providers?
These groups have community building potential too. Some groups use them to arrange street braais, warn in advance of parties, find a reputable plumber, or simply borrow some sugar. If your group isn’t quite working for you, set up another one that does!
The point is just to have networks, even of only a couple of neighbours connected by at least one admin person to the CPNW Connector Rep. This allows us to quickly gather and disseminate information, and together we will always be stronger. Even if things do start to crumble around us, as South Africans, we always get together and make a plan!
For more information, contact Lynne Hogan: lchogan15@gmail.com
NRPA AGM
Making a big plan was certainly the order of the day at the NRPA AGM, held on 25 April at Monkey Valley. Huge recognition is due to the committed individuals who make up the NRPA Committee, as well as the groups operating under its umbrella for the incredible job they do to keep Noordhoek special.
They protect our interests as ratepayers, promote its equestrian character, ensure we get excellent service from the city, and keep our streets, beach and common clean and cared for. It is sad that so few residents are even members of the NRPA, as the combined income from the very modest membership fees if the majority of residents became members would radically multiply their capacity to make Noordhoek even better.
A process is underway to try to develop Noordhoek into a ‘Special Ratings Area’ (SRA) and we believe this initiative holds great promise. (In a nutshell, an SRA is an area where residents have agreed to pay an additional agreed charge on their rates bill that is channelled directly to the Community for local use.) In the meantime, we are hoping to develop a system that makes it easy to sign up for small monthly donations to the various volunteer groups that make Noordhoek such an incredible place to live!
Community Centre
The CPNW is fortunate to have the Community Centre as a key source of funding, and we rely otherwise on donations and member contributions, mostly via the voluntary surcharge on security company payments. This provides a regular income, and we appreciate a similar contribution of R30 per month from those not using a security company, via an annual donation.
We believe that the hard work we put in and the residents who pay for security companies to patrol our area help to make it safer for those who do not have a security contract, so we feel these contributions are justified. We are thus grateful to the relatively small number who have made this payment, and at the same time we have been blown away by a smaller number of incredibly supportive, very special members who take it upon themselves to make spontaneous donations in support of what we do.
We thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. The money goes to very good use, but knowing our work is appreciated is just as important!
As mentioned, the Community Centre continues to thrive as both a regular venue for all sorts of activities in Noordhoek, and as a source of income for CPNW. We are most grateful to Karen and her team for the great work they do in running it. We are still looking for someone who could take on a caretaker–handyman role, so please let us know if someone comes to mind!
Security Camera Project
Our camera project continues with its steady rollout as our financial and personal resources allow. We are pleased to say with some confidence that we now have most of our southern boundary covered and are making good progress on the western side. This development involves a large team, including those doing the planning, funding and installation and the host households for each camera – thank you to one and all!
Radio Network: Coordinators Wanted
Our radio network and response team have been fairly quiet for some time, which is of itself good news, as it signals an extended period of reduced crime levels. But we cannot afford to become complacent, so we will be looking to revitalise this area sooner rather than later.
To do so, however, we need more radio coordinators. This involves knowing basic radio protocols, hosting a base station (that we will fund) and agreeing to have it in use on a shared timetable. In the event of any trouble, an experienced operator would take over immediately, so you need no specialised skills! Please let us know if this is something you would consider doing!
We wish everyone a safe, peaceful and warm start to the winter!
The CPNW Team
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