RECENT crime stats shared by the South African Police Services (SAPS) confirm that there has been an upward trend in crime across Durban.
Fidelity ADT’s District Manager for KwaZulu-Natal, Vaughan Pillay, said areas like Umbilo and Berea were in the top five when it came to vehicle theft, making Durban the car theft capital of South Africa.
“This should cause great concern for all stakeholders including private security companies, the local SAPS and especially residents. We need to be more vigilant than ever before, while finding smart ways to proactively address these crime concerns,” he said.
Experts claim that technology has become instrumental in producing positive results in reducing crime. Fidelity ADT has strategically erected CCTV cameras, Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras, a Community Control Room (CCR) and mobile camera networks in an effort to safeguard and secure various communities, throughout the Durban footprint.
“Cameras are placed in visible areas to deter would-be criminals, while smarter technology such as LPR cameras are used to flag suspicious or stolen vehicles listed on the national SAPS database. These cameras then send a notification to our monitoring centre who proactively respond to the potential threat by deploying our armed response resources. In essence addressing the concern of high vehicle theft within our areas,” explained Pillay.
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The security company has taken the LPR technology a step further by attaching the LPR cameras to armed response vehicles. This creates a mobile LPR camera that can flag suspicious or stolen vehicles whilst reaction officers are doing patrols.
In addition, it has also set up a locally based Community Control Room (CCR) that serves as a central point of communication between residents and security role players.
“We launched the CCR with the idea that it should serve as a central point of communication for all customers, the public and most importantly other security role players such as neighbourhood watches and community policing forums. This community-based initiative ensures that the relevant role players are dispatched as soon as an alert is received via a call or WhatsApp message. This enables our communities to utilise their resources and to collaborate when it comes to addressing concerns or alerts,” said Pillay.
To find out more, residents can contact Sean Kennedy on 031 716 5500 or seank@fidelity-adt.co.za.
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