Date posted: October 7, 2022
Dear NeighboursCPNW Committee: Appeal for Volunteers
Apologies for the long silence! Whilst individual tasks are relatively minor, the accumulated burdens of volunteer community work do accumulate over time to eventually become a little overwhelming. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that once someone has stepped up to fill a gap that ensures relative safety and comfort in our neighbourhood, as soon as the crisis passes, support tends to fade and those who have volunteered are left carrying the responsibility for what seems to be an indefinite period.
In this respect the CPNW Committee is gradually thinning out, with some members having served more than 10 years in these positions! Whilst we all acknowledge that this work is being done freely and without obligation and that a significant number of residents in our area do, at least, support community organisations, we do feel that it is time others did step up to offer at least some support at the Committee/Leadership level. This generally involves no more than a few hours per week but, as outlined in the past newsletter, has resulted in vast improvements in the living conditions of anyone living in our area over the last 20 years, from radically improved security to safer roads, clean beaches, preserved natural areas and community resources such as the Common and Community Centre.
To have achieved this, at this time in our country, when so many things are going in the other direction, is no small feat and something in which we can all take enormous pride! It will not continue however, unless we continue to see support in the form of individuals who are prepared to do just a little bit extra, in taking on some responsibility for coordinating and supporting all the good work that gets done. It can be intimidating to jump in on one’s own although I doubt we are a scary bunch) and the more, the merrier, so how about recruiting a friendly neighbour and the two of you make an offer to get involved.
Nobody is simply going to be saddled with huge responsibility, and we have structured most of what we do so that it can be done in spare time, we just need more help over the long run, if we are going to maintain our neighbourhood as it is, or ideally continue to improve it.
So please talk to your neighbours, friends, and family about what you could do to help, come along to our AGM, or to a committee meeting and show some interest! Nobody is going to be immediately saddled with huge responsibility, we just want to bring people in so that they can get the feel of things and work out what it would suit you to do!!
Incidents
In terms of incidents in our area, since our last newsletter on 25 May:
- A pig was stolen from Avondrust Farm on the night of 26 May. Although the farm does have cameras in place monitored by Deep Blue Security, we have established that on this night there was heavy ground mist that did not allow the cameras to function. The following night however, a second attempt was foiled when the cameras did raise the alarm and patrolling ensued.
- On the night of 27 May, a vehicle in Willow Street had its bonnet forcibly opened and the battery stolen.
- On 21 June Copper Piping was stolen from the Red Herring Centre.
- On 30 June a temporary fencing/gate system, that had been used by a construction company to protect its equipment (which the company since been removed) disappeared overnight.
- On 1 July a gate was stolen from Avondrust farm.
- In August the only incident we are aware of involved a case of fraud, where a booking was made at the Community Centre under false pretences, this was used to receive an order of plastic chairs from a hire company, which were promptly packed into a different vehicle and the perpetrators disappeared without a trace!
- We are not aware of any incidents in our area in September.
In surrounding areas, we noted a home invasion in De Goede Hoop Estate on 2 June, and distressingly, a murder in Belvedere in the first week of September. With regard to the latter, according to the Echo the victim’s body was found on the property and a suspect has been arrested.
Be Alert!
It is pleasing to note that actual break-ins and other more typical crimes affecting residential areas have declined significantly in our area, but we are seeing a broader range of quite bold crimes, involving property that would not ordinarily be stolen! So, we need to ask everyone to have a second look, or alert a vehicle, when suspicions are aroused regarding anything even slightly amiss, even though it may not look like a typical crime.
Camera Update
In terms of further security development, we have added another two cameras to the network, one with Licence Plate Recognition capacity and another overview cameras. Although to date most of what we have recorded relates to local nocturnal wildlife and local traffic, we were pleased to note that early this month, an individual walking around at 3;30am with a backpack, was very quickly identified and escorted out of the area by a patrol vehicle!
Meeting with the Mayor
We were pleased to welcome the City’s Mayor and team recently to a meeting with a range of community stakeholders hosted by the NRPA, which involved a series of very impressive presentations from the range of Community Organisations in our area, outlining the work being done. The mayor and his team were suitably impressed, and we are hopeful that this will lead to improved cooperation with the City and more sensitivity to locally relevant concerns. It is really exciting to see how the NRPA is growing in capacity, particularly in terms of strategic planning and the ability to work with local authorities. We would strongly encourage everyone to join at www.nrpa.org.za , if you have not already done so!
Radio Network and Emergency Preparedness
Whilst there is much to celebrate in terms of how our local neighbourhood has improved, perhaps quite the opposite is true for the country, which is indeed a major cause for concern. The one thing we can do, is continuing to focus our efforts on where we can have an effect, which is of course, as already mentioned, in our own communities. Although it is not helpful to raise anxiety levels excessively, this must also include improving our preparedness in the event of a major disaster, and particularly one related to social unrest.
Given the frailty of our electricity network, it is not unlikely that such an event will be associated with power outages, and quite possible the loss of cellular and internet connectivity. It is for this reason that we have been asked to review the capacity of our Radio Network and to participate in some planned emergency drills in future months.
We would thus like to say a big “Thank You” to the 46 people who responded to our request to notify us if they have a radio. However, with 190 radios in Chapman’s Peak, this has necessitated the sending of multiple emails to check on others and send licence application forms out to those that we do not have the paperwork for.
Could those who have not responded to these requests, please let us know as soon as possible that you have a radio (please reply to this email!!) and if you have received the licence application forms please fill them in and return them to us as soon as possible so we can put this task to bed?
We are always on the lookout for more radio coordinators to share the load! So if this is something you would like to help out with, please do let us know!!
CPNW AGM: Diarise NOW!
Finally, please do make a note of our AGM, which we plan to hold on 21 November 2022, at 1830 at the NCC. It will be great to see everyone’s faces again and we look forward to a nice braai afterwards in the newly refurbished braai area, so please make a plan to be there!!
Wishing everyone a safe month!
The CPNW Committee
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