Taking a more hands-on approach to community security is definitely paying dividends for Gallo Manor residents who have reported zero crime in the last three months following the introduction of an innovative new approach from private security provider, Fidelity ADT.
The Gallo Manor site was initially acquired by Fidelity ADT following the Securitas acquisition in 2016. Following a prolonged period of crime spikes in the area, the community together with Fidelity ADT implemented a new approach, introducing a dedicated site manager for the area in January this year.
Aslam Munsur, community development manager for the area, says the pilot is working extremely well. “We have never had such a position previously. Our site manager was given a caravan office in December 2019 which is fully equipped with solar panels for power, and a wireless alarm system as well,” says Munsur. He says the manager is strictly responsible for training and managing all reaction officers and guards in the Gallo Manor area.
Site manager Lameck Sibiya was selected by the committee and recommended by the Fidelity ADT team. Sibiya enforces all the enclosure rules and regulations with the officers and guards within the localised security site and gives weekly updates to the committee and Gallo Manor chairman. He also conducts regular checks and investigations on vacant properties, building sites with contractors, suspicious persons or properties.
“Having someone like Sibiya on site has made all the difference,” says Munsur. He gets all shifts to conduct regular patrols at designated times and this is communicated on a WhatsApp group daily from the controllers to the committee members directly. He also resolves clients’ issues on site and coordinates armed response in the event of an incident.
“He plays a vital role in training these officers monthly on standard operating procedures,” adds Munsur.
The new approach is definitely paying dividends with a sharp decrease in crime. In 2017 between 1 January and 31 December there were 58 incidents of crime. In 2018 this reduced to 43 and in 2019 to 30. This year has seen only 15 incidents and zero incidents in the last 3 months.
The area now boasts three dedicated armed response vehicles, 6 x LSS guard boom entrances, 8 x pedestrian gates, 6 x CCTV LPR poles with cameras watching over approximately 1000 households, and a mobile device in the dedicated vehicle so that clients can make direct contact with the officers on duty to report any suspicious person/s or behaviour of a group of people.
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.
printer friendly version