Message to Residents
LRA ANTI - CRIME INITIATIVE
LRA ANTI - CRIME INITIATIVE
The security and well being of the residents of Lonehill is the primary function and concern of the Lonehill Resident’s Association (LRA) and has been so since its foundation in 2000. At its inception, the LRA was tasked with a vision of providing an upmarket village community where all its residents are free to live and shop and exercise in pristine conditions with peace of mind in safety and security. And this was to be achieved by the provision of a 24 hour security protection from “evil criminal elements”. If one looks back to 2000 to the present, it can be seen that to a very substantial degree, the objective has been and continues to be achieved. Crime statistics and reported incidents are up to 90% lower than in comparable and /or adjacent areas. Whilst this represents a significant achievement in the context of present day, the fact remains that crime is still occurring in the Lonehill from time to time and the crime reduction statistics are simply no comfort to victims of crime in the Lonehill area who are our fellow community members. The stated successes simply do not measure the LRA’s pursuit of zero tolerance and crime occurrence in our community.
Crime and criminal elements evolve over time and solutions that historically proved successful may not be so effective into the future and as such, the LRA and Lonehill community must of necessity rise to meet these new challenges, evolve methods and employ technology to address the new scenarios we face in order to be faithful to the founding principles of the LRA and our strategic objectives of security provision to the Lonehill community and make necessary changes and adaptations. Yesterdays successes and methodologies are simply not sufficient for today’s challenges in the security arena.
As a result, the LRA has embarked over the last number of months, on one of the most extensive and complex anti crime enquiries undertaken by a residents association in the country with the objective being to obtain the best possible advice and inputs into a comprehensive security initiative that would be systematically rolled out into the Lonehill community in a phased approach. The LRA has and continues to conduct planning and input sessions with local and national SAPS Commanders and specialists, Business Against Crime, Community leaders from Diepsloot and other areas, criminologists, the National Prosecuting Authority, certain leaders and management of security providers represented in Lonehill , domestic employees, Information and Security Technology providers, leaders past and present of similar associations including tremendous support and advice given by past LRA leadership, international crime initiative studies and last but by no means least, inputs from Lonehill community members. Various planning and strategic sessions are being held over the next number of weekends.
The new security plan for Lonehill will in many instances involve national firsts in a number of arenas from methodology to technology and it is with great excitement that the LRA is able to announce certain aspects of the new security initiative that are now in progress:
1. The opening and commissioning of a new high tech control room for the LRA and its security activities in the heart of Lonehill. The new high security control room is equipped with state of the art computer systems, plasma screen camera monitors, digital data recording capability and sophisticated telephone and radio communications equipment, GPS and mapping equipment and a host of confidential software programmes that are cutting edge in the fight against crime enabling interface with various databases. Of necessity, we cannot disclose all the capabilities of the new systems but criminals will find out the hard way what these new capabilities are if and when the time arises. Remarkably many of the software programmes are written and maintained by Lonehill community volunteers and are simply cutting edge in capability and application.
2. The deployment of scooters to enhance the coverage of foot patrols and to provide additional patrol capability and visibility in all areas of the LRA activities. The tests with the initial batch of scooters has proved to be extremely successful with tremendously positive feedback from you the Lonehill community and so additional scooter units have been ordered with staff undergoing driving training and tests before further deployments in the next few weeks.
3. The reaction officers and foot patrol guards are now equipped with ultra high tech on person GPS tracking devices and real time camera feeds direct to the LRA control room enabling not only careful monitoring of patrolling activities 24/7 but more importantly, enabling our control room to observe and record real time what our guards and reaction officers see and encounter as the events occur thus enabling the most efficient deployment of resources and assistance where needed. This equipment enables our control room to make far better situation assessments and to maximise our responses to community members in difficulties or under threat.
4. A SAPS Reservist initiative has been launched with appeals to the Lonehill community for volunteers and this appeal is still ongoing. To date the LRA has been pleasantly surprised with the number of volunteers and these numbers are set to expand with the announcement that a security company active in Lonehill will provide off duty staff to augment the volunteer initiative. This is a huge breakthrough in inter service co operation. Once the full contingent of volunteers is reached, which looks imminent, the first training will commence and the result will be that further anti crime activities will be conducted by the reservists in association and under the command of the relevant SAPS command structures.
5. A prosecution support group consisting of volunteers with appropriate experience, will be available to support any victims of crime and to assist with the prosecution process of apprehended criminals to ensure that criminals get what they deserve.
These items represent the first phase of one of the most comprehensive security upgrades ever undertaken in South Africa by a non profit residents association and are a clear demonstration to our Lonehill community and the few detractors out there that the LRA is about its business for the benefits of Lonehill and all its residents. Furthermore we’ve only just begun!
Jean Berdou
Director LRA