Date posted: December 18, 2019
Dear Neighbours,Crime Update
I must first of all, as CPNW Chairperson and the person responsible for our newsletters, apologise for the long delay since the last one! In mitigation, however, it is with great pleasure that I am able to take note of the fact that it is nearly nine months since we had our last recorded incident of crime in our area.
This is a remarkable achievement for which we should all take credit, coming as it does after the release of the National Crime Statistics that show persistently increasing crime levels over the last two decades. We believe that what has been key in reversing this trend in our neighbourhood has been not only the multiple combinations of strategies we have used and tailored specifically for where we live but as critically, the involvement of a significant majority of our members in our efforts to keep crime out of the area, from the small “connector” street groups to our larger communication networks and interactions with SAPS, local authorities and security providers.
Of course our winters are usually a quieter period so please let us not get complacent and consider that now is probably the ideal time to be doing a radio check, reviewing your security system, and perhaps putting in those upgrades you have been thinking about!
Beach – Risk Area
It should also be noted that there have been worrying indications that the beach and other areas under the authority of SANParks, in particular, are by no means safe and that the risk of muggings may already be rather high and increasing as we go into the summer.
Aside from the horrible murders that have occurred of late on the beach and mountainside in other areas, we have been made aware of at least two incidents, and possibly a third, where attempts on beachgoers were thwarted before any crime had taken place, both down near the wreck as well as close to the parking area.
We would thus urge everyone to continue to exercise extreme caution on the beach, wetlands and mountainside and to please warn visitors to the area!
Municipal Bin Flyer
The City of Cape Town recently issued a flyer concerning the correct use of Wheelie Bins and their policy regarding bin pickers:
https://cpnw.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Bin-picking-flyer-pg1.pdf
https://cpnw.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Bin-picking-flyer-pg2.pdf
Security Provider
Lastly, I must inform you all of an exciting development in terms of security providers in the area and make a request for your assistance: For some time we have expressed our own reservations about certain aspects of our current relationship and, particularly in response to fee increases as well as a range of other complaints, a number of our members have urged us to consider alternative security providers.
Our response has consistently been that we would be open to considering alternatives, if anyone was prepared to do the work required to find a suitable alternative provider and to involve themselves in the due diligence and negotiation that would be necessary before we would able to recommend anyone else to our membership.
We are pleased to say that, at a time when we have again been having significant difficulties in our relationship with Fidelity ADT, a member has come forward to propose an alternative provider and to do the work.
We are thus in the process of considering a proposal from an alternative provider, which, we believe may be able to offer and equivalent or even improved service at competitive rates and we are busy assembling a team of members with the requisite expertise to perform a due diligence on the company so that, by the time of our AGM, we will be able to make a firm recommendation based on a sound assessment of our options.
We would be very grateful for any further volunteers who would be prepared to join this team. In particular we are looking for members with expertise in all aspects of security services as well as with regard to making an assessment of the financial viability of the company. If you are interested please let us know by return of mail!
Wishing you all a safe summer!
The CPNW Committee
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