Residents have eyes on criminals
The residents of Poortjies have taken control of their safety by funding a CCTV camera project. The Poortjies CCTV camera project was initiated by resident Paul Pretorius and is being driven by him and two friends, Johan van Heerden and Bobby McEwan.
According to Pretorius, The Plett Eagles Neighbourhood Watch and Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association spend an enormous amount of time at night on monitoring and surveillance of the area. CCTV technology is able to assist in this task by allowing the human resources to be more effectively utilised.
Pretorius described the primary goal of a public CCTV surveillance project as creating a ‘safe zone’ where the cameras are deployed. The secondary goal is to use the CCTV system to maintain the area under surveillance. “By using ongoing surveillance, you are able to stop infiltration by undesirable elements. This goal also entails the general upkeep of civil infrastructure within the area of surveillance,” said Pretorius.
To date, approximately 31% of the Poortjies property owners have contributed R120 240 toward the project’s cost. Donations have been paid into a Section 21 Non-Profit Company bank account. The company is registered as Bitou Monitor Emergency Response Centre (BMERC) and its work group members are Bitou’s deputy mayor Adam van Rhyner, Warren Roman (Medlife Paramedic Services), Otto Olivier (Plett Security), Andries Trahms (Smhart Security), Henry Eybers (Garden Route Communication), Paul Pretorius (Poortjies Neighbourhood Watch) and Ina Olivier (secretary).
The initial phase includes the installation of five public CCTV cameras in Poortjies – at the Plato Road and Susan Street intersection, the Plato Road and Zenon Street intersection, the Beacon Way and Cupid Street intersection, the Phitidis Walk and Ray Street intersection and Phitidis Walk North. The project organisers hope to obtain funding for at least two more CCTV cameras. The system is expected to become operational within weeks.
The cameras are placed on 6m-high poles. “Robberg Readymix is supplying the 1m³ concrete necessary for each camera pole, free of charge for which we are very grateful,” said Pretorius.
According to Pretorius, the Bitou Municipality continues to be supportive of the public CCTV project. “The Municipal manager, Allen Paulse, signed a three-year lease for the BMERC accommodation and will also provide the operators to monitor the CCTV cameras,” he said.
Pretorius said that as Bitou is primarily a tourist and retirement destination, the approach should be to not only reverse crime, but to eliminate it, especially violent crime. He envisages that as the BMERC evolves to maturity, a board will be established similar to the Cape Town CCID model. Those involved see the BMERC as becoming the nerve centre for surveillance monitoring and information gathering in Bitou, a one-stop control room for disaster management, including crime, medical assistance and fire brigade.
He said that widespread consensus exists that CCTV is effective in reducing premeditated and property-related crime. “Since CCTV cameras increase the risk that a criminal will be prosecuted for a crime, the criminal will respond accordingly. The cameras will affect the perceived risk/reward calculation. Common sense indicates that this impact is much more likely for property/premeditated crimes than it would be for crimes of passion, where by definition; people are not calculating the consequences,” he concluded.
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Source: Knysna-Plett Herald