Safety Plan :
Garsfontein
Police Precinct
Working towards a Safe, Friendly
and Involved Community
Vision
• To sustain safety for all residents in the area
• Reduce crime levels
• Establish a residential environment where residents can
get to know, support and care for each other in times of
need.
• Build a good relationship with the SAPS.
• Facilitate the creation of a proactive security service
(from a single security service provider) in designated
areas.
Mission
• Create a safety and security conscious community.
• Establish effective crime prevention measures, by
implementing property safety and personal safety
principals.
• Establish effective patrol/buddy system amongst
residents.
• Establish effective means of communication – websites,
newsletters, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and radio
communication.
• Involve community members in environmental projects
and create a sense of pride amongst the residents.
• Involve and care for the elderly and sick residents in the
community.
Precinct Map
Sector Profiles
• Sector 1:
• Sector 2:
• Sector 3:
• Sector 4:
Wilgers, Lynnwood, Lynnwood Ridge,
Lynnrodene, Scientia, Brummeria,
Val De Grace, Murryfield, Lynnwood Manor
Faerie Glen, Olympus, Wapadrand
Garsfontein, Garsfontein X10, Pretorius Park,
Woodhill Estate,The Wilds, Mooikloof Garden
Moreleta Park, Constantia Park, Waterkloof Glen
and part of Erasmuskloof
Community Safety
Initiatives
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Community patrols
Community websites •
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Radio Buddy system
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WhatsApp groups
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Facebook pages
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Information boards
Community news letters
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Youth Desk
Community calendars
Community monthly meetings
Suppliers list
Community control rooms
CCTV Cameras & LPR Cameras
Weekly meeting with SAPS, METRO,
councilors, school representatives and
all security companies.
Dedicated “Community Managed
Security” areas
Background : “Dedicated Community
Managed Security” areas
• Prior to the year 2000, Garsfontein Precinct was rated one of the
Top 20 precincts with the worst crime levels
• There were more than 15 security companies offering a reactive
response service with very little or no impact on crime levels –
Crime escalated.
• Various neighbourhoods started experimenting with different
models and strategies to try to reduce crime levels and keep
their families safe. These included :
o Involve all security service providers present in the area
o Concentrate on volunteer patrols only
o Close off the neighbourhood (or even part of a
neighbourhood) with guards at the boom gate and guard
patrols
o Appoint a single security service provider in a designated
area to deliver a proactive service and manage them with
Service Level Agreements
A Proactive Approach
• 24/7 patrolling
• Dedicated Patrol Vehicles supplied by the preferred security service
provider
• Permanent patrol officers who know the area, and is known and trusted
by the residents.
• Security officers are approved by community and should stay in the area
as long as possible.
• Reaction time of less than 3 minutes.
• Direct cell phone or radio contact with the patrol vehicles.
• Escorting clients to their home whenever it is required.
• The company must comply to all PSIRA regulations.
• A good partnership with the management of the company. At least a 2
monthly meeting with managers of all departments in the company,
finance, technical, operational, general manager, etc.
• The community should also have a good relationship with the police
station. Get to know the sector patrollers, the other members of the
station, the station commander.
• Community should be part of the CPF.
After many years of hard work in various
communities within the Garsfontein precinct ,
the Dedicated Community Managed Security
model contributed to success of Garsfontein
SAPS as it was appointed several times as the
Best SAPS station in the country with regards
to Crime Prevention.
The Dedicated Community Managed
Security model proves to be the most
successful strategy as it delivers a holistic
proactive approach to crime prevention.
Challenges with the Proactive
Model
• It is more costly – service provider vehicles patrol 24/7 – but with the
more residents joining this service, the cheaper it becomes.
• Smaller companies “infiltrate” designated areas asking a much lower
fee – obviously not doing the 24/7 patrolling BUT benefitting from
the lower crime level due to the proactive patrolling.
o Their overhead costs are much lower as it is a only reactive
service .
o They do not have to incur the costs for dedicated patrol vehicles
o They do not share crime intel as it is benefitting their competition
o They “divide the cake” and weaken the system ensuring that noone is sustainable nor profitable
In essence, they destroy the success what has
been build by many people and volunteers
including dedicated security companies and
the SAPS
It is all about the Proactive
Model
• Some of the smaller companies do have good patrol officers but
unfortunately, the high crime rates have become an opportunity to
make money – NOT TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY
• The model is not against free market principles - Actually to make
the model work, the selected company must make a profit or else
the company will not be sustainable.
• Residents signing up with the smaller companies do that in their
individual capacity and looses the benefit of the initiative’s
consumer group bargaining power and SLA management.
If any security company puts the safety of the
residents of any community at risk, then SAPS and the
community should be able to take steps to ensure that
those structures that works, will not be broken down
Community Projects
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Crime prevention projects: Operations with SAPS will be held at hot
spot areas.
Vehicle safety projects: Vehicle related crimes are high in some areas.
An awareness campaign will be launched with the help of the
community and the police.
Self defense Courses
Crime scene management training
Domestic and Gardener training against crime
Family fun days
Christmas lights competition.
Christmas market
Recognition evening: To give recognition to all community members
and security officers, SAPS, for the work they did.
Care group: Help those in need
Trauma centre situated at the Garsfontein police station.
Pink tree month/Cancer awareness
Caring for animals: ‘My best friend’ WhatsApp groups. For4paws
group
Community Emergency
Plan
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Exists for some neighbourhoods
Generic plan under development for whole precinct
Includes Disaster Management and Evacuation plan
Includes Communication Plan
Community Upliftment
Projects
• Elderly care: Volunteers take elderly and sick people to
hospitals, doctors and shops.
• Waste Recycling
• Bird watching groups
• Garden/Sidewalk competition
• Indigenous gardens
• Upgrading and maintenance of parks, green areas.
Garsfontein CPF Values
• That all people in our community should be treated with
respect, regardless of age, race or gender.
• We believe that the fight against crime can be won
through well established community/police partnerships
• We believe in a safe, friendly, and involved community.
• We believe in God and that through Him all things are
possible!