Partnership tackles crime on Helen Joseph Road

BULWER Community Safety Forum (BCSF) and Mzansi Security held a meeting with businesses and residents in Helen Joseph (Davenport) Road on Monday to discuss its project aimed at fighting crime in the road.

According to chairperson Heather Rorick, the BCSF was committed to cleaning up the area and had approached Mzansi Security, which was based in the community, for help.

“We are a small group and can’t do it all, so we need assistance from a security company. We will still do our work, but will have back up from Mzansi. We are going to clean up the area, starting with Helen Joseph Road,” she said.

Local business owner, Marcel Whatley, spoke on behalf of his business, Deli, which supported the initiative.

“When I arrived on 10 February and saw things happening on the corner outside my shop, I was concerned and thought about packing up and going back to Johannesburg. I spoke to Heather about the problems. I’m committed to getting Mzansi Security in my shop and in the street, so my customers can get to their cars safely and we can be safe as we operate,” he said.

Michelle Caswell from Mzansi Security said she was passionate about the area and as she had been a policewoman for 16 years, she knew the area well.

“Helen Joseph Road used to be affluent, it has heritage and history, now there are prostitutes and vagrants and restaurants are losing business because of the crime. It’s come to the point where businesses need to work on a cost-effective solution to work together to form a partnership to get rid of crime in the area. We will have presence on the streets, like the old bobby on the beat,” she said.

Michelle said the plan was to get four night shift guards on duty in the road from 6pm to 6am who would carry radios linked to the area vehicle.

“This is part of the Mzansi SOS initiative, in securing our suburb, we go into the area, look at the problems and see what can be done to eradicate crime and help in the area,” she said.

Guards would carry a camera to take photos of things going on in the road and would work closely with businesses.

“We have to start somewhere and the main focus would be this road, before we move on to other roads in the area. We have a working partnership with SAPS and Metro Police and we have our own dog unit. Our aim is to have joint guarding and armed response in the road. In the future we hope to have two guards during the day too. We need the backing of residents and businesses to stand together and grow,” she said.