Anew CCTV project has been introduced in Richwood in a bid to enhance safety in the area. The area is adjacent to the N7-highway – an easy escape for would-be criminals.
Glenn Marais, chair of the Richwood Neighbourhood Watch (RNW), said last week the project had always been something he had wanted to start as far back as 2017, when he became chair of the neighbourhood watch.
“I had CCTV installed at my house, which was connected to the internet. I had it installed as I worked away from home for long periods, and it made my family feel safer knowing that when they were sleeping I could monitor the house and street.
“One day I was 180 km out at sea on a rig and logged on. I spotted a kid turning our water off at the stopcock and run away. I called home and informed my son that the water was off and all he had to do was turn it back on. That is when I realised how CCTV can assist us in curbing crime.
“We can pick up any late-night movement and notify the necessary armed response company to check for us. Each system gives alerts from 23:00 to 05:00,” he explained.
Marais said when he became chair he knew that strategically-paced CCTV would assist, but the cost at the time was out of the RNW’s reach, being a non-profit organisation.
Funds
Fortunately the then ward councillor, Cheryl Visser, made some of her ward allocation funds available, and a CCTV system was installed at the bottom of Annandale Drive.
“It was a blessing, not only to us, but also to numerous motorists we assisted and prevented from being robbed on a very dangerous stretch on the N7.
“This is near Richwood. We also picked up people being robbed at the area we know as ‘The Island’.”
Thanks to the generosity of the Bothasig Community Policing Forum (CPF), the neighbourhood watch was able to expand their reach.
“The CPF recently purchased CCTV for the neighbourhood watches and gave each watch two,” Marais said. “Our team then decided to do a fundraiser for another five cameras. Some residents donated, for which we were grateful, and along with funds from RNW, we purchased five and the required extras to install them.”
He said residents also offered to have them placed on their properties and connect to their fibre. ‘We also ensured that each CCTV has power back-up, in case of power failures.”
Private security helps
Neal de Wit, owner of Precinct Response, and his technical team offered to install it at minimal cost, Marais said. “Now we currently have seven cameras.”
The cameras are placed strategically at Richwood Avenue, Annandale Drive, Buitengracht Drive and Helderberg Road, which has access to Precinct Response’s two cameras. Two residents have also given the neighbourhood watch access to their road-facing cameras.
“Next year we are looking at possibly another 10,” said Marais.
He said it helped the neighbourhood watch, which cannot always be out on the road.
“But yes, we pick the movement of suspicious-looking characters up, and they are immediately found and asked to leave the area. We would like our community to be as safe as possible and will continue looking at ways to do that. I want to thank Precinct Response for their assistance with the project.”
