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The Lonehill Residents Association (LRA) is pleased to announce that there has been a dramatic drop in the incidents of crime in and around Lonehill, Beverley and Lonehill East areas over the past few weeks. Most areas have in fact experienced no reported crime at all, with only a few exceptions. For example, over the last 10 days, there were only two incidents...one an attempt at entry into a complex over its boundary wall where the guards spotted the intruder and fired a shot at him causing him to flee, and a second where a man ate two pies at a Petrol Station Shop and left without paying!

In line with the application of the enhanced security plan announced last year by the LRA, after substantial research and inputs, it would appear that the combination of improved training, deployment, tactics, and technology amongst the LRA Fidelity teams and the activities of the SAPS and SAPS Reservists is having a marked effect on reducing crime in our area.  This is precisely what we had been hoping for and planning and working towards.  However, residents must continue to maintain high levels of personal vigilance.  The reduction of crime in our areas is obviously a positive and welcome development.

The LRA Fidelity personnel are engaged in a process of improvement of training of their staff to raise standards to new levels of efficiency and competence.  This is an ongoing process.  Added to this is the operational deployment of technology to enhance their support such as personal and vehicle mounted GPS and camera systems which record and feed back to our high tech control room, enabling far more efficient responses and management.  New patrol vehicles together with our scooters have enhanced mobility and ground coverage resulting in pro-active ground presence.  Administrative back up has been improved and substantial quantities of additional equipment ranging from new uniforms to high tech security equipment and new firearms have been added to the mix.  We are striving for new levels of service excellence and are in full pursuit of our vision of a zero crime zone in the Greater Lonehill area, or at least definitely in the LRA’s areas of responsibility and operation.

Since the high visibility SAPS roadblock operations on 10th March, the SAPS and SAPS Reservists have also been very active in our area, and apart from the recent SAPS air operations over the Jukskei River using sophisticated night vision equipment and backed by LRA ground units, the  SAPS and SAPS Reservists continue to operate regular patrols in our areas and surrounds particularly in the early morning hours.  A security check of  the informal settlement on the corner of Witkoppen and Main was carried out, and just last week SAPS Reservists intercepted housebreakers in Magaliessig.  One intruder was shot dead and two unlicensed firearms were recovered.  Further similar operations are under way and being planned.

Additional components of the enhanced security plan are in the process of being rolled out and one new development that we are in a position to now announce is the imminent formation of a Sector Crime Forum for Douglasdale Policing Area Sector 3, which consists of Magaliessig, Lonehill, Lonehill East, Pineslopes and Beverley.  This is a dedicated SAPS Community Forum with promulgated statutory powers whereby the community and SAPS interact to provide one another with feedback on anti crime operations and requests for SAPS activities.  Please keep an eye open for further announcements concerning this during the month of April.

Finally, we once again urge you to maintain the highest levels of personal vigilance and report any suspicious noises, activities, vehicles or persons to the LRA Control room.