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Metro Police hear talk on “zombie drug” The Parow police have launched an anti “flakka” (“zombie drug”) campaign, starting with Metro Police officers in Bonteheuwel. The police invite all communities to contact them to host Flakka Alert Talks – informa tion sessions about the drug and its devastating conse quences. From left are Sergeant Mervyn Jacobs, constables Jonathan Pretorius and Lance Heynes, Parow police’s Captain Kevin Williams, and constables Carlo Voges, LeeAnne Olivier and Jacobus Williams. The navyblue squad listened to a Flakka Alert Talk presented by Captain Williams. Read the story on page 5.
BELLVILLE AND PAROW: 67 CCTV AND LPR CAMERAS TO BE ROLLED OUT BY VRCID OVER NEXT SEVEN MONTHS
Two CBDs get cameras T
he Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID) will be rolling out a multimillion rand project over the next seven months as they install 67 CCTV and Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras in the Bellville and Parow CBDs. This project aims to increase the VRCID’s ability to be proactive in identifying and responding to criminals, as they partner with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other City Law Enforcement agencies to prevent and fight crime in the VRCID. The CCTV cameras will record all incidents, with footage able to be used as evidence in the event of criminal activities or criminals being caught on camera committing a crime. The VRCID will hand over such evidence to either the SAPS or City Law Enforcement.
The VRCID also hopes that the presence of more security cameras will serve as a deterrent for criminals who will be aware that their actions are being monitored and recorded 24/7. “With this CCTV project, we want to make it clear to the criminal elements that they are not welcome within our area of influence. We also wish to show the City of Cape Town and the SAPS that we are their partners in the fight against crime,” says Hardus Zevenster, chairperson of the VRCID board. The cameras will be monitored by specifically trained officers from the VRCID’s security service provider, Securitas. These officers will receive extensive training on what to look out for and how to identify suspicious behaviour. Securitas has extensive experience in this field, as they are currently managing a simi-
lar operation in Century City. The LPR cameras will be strategically placed at all main entrances to the VRCID. This will allow the VRCID to track any stolen or flagged vehicles as suspicious, i.e. having been used in a robbery, for instance. The VRCID will then immediately inform the police of such suspicious vehicles for them to take action against. In terms of the implementation and completion of the project, Derek Bock, chief operating officer of the VRCID, says they want to be fully operational by 1 June 2018. “We have a dedicated VRCID and Securitas team working full time on this project. As this will be a first for the Bellville and Parow CBD areas, we are not taking any short cuts. “Together with the installation of the cameras, we are also going to build a new state-
of-the-art Security Operations Centre at the VRCID offices. This will be the 24-hour nerve centre of the CCTV operation.” The project is estimated to cost well over R1 million, which will be financed by the levies received from the CID levy payers. In addition to these finances, the VRCID has already had good cooperation from certain property owners on whose buildings the CCTV cameras will be mounted. “This project is just another example of the VRCID ploughing its resources straight back into the VRCID area to make it a safer and better community for all,” Zevenster says. They call on interested parties to make contact with the VRCID if they wish to be part of this project, or wish to donate funds for further roll-out after the initial 67 CCTV cameras and LPRs have been installed.