‘Eye in the sky’ keeps Almond Rd crime at bay
24/7 surveillance reduces criminals’ chances of targeting area successfully
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/39/2013/08/e29almond1_Small_580004134.jpg)
A St Winifreds resident is fighting back against crime in the suburb.
Managing director of RBI Technical Solutions, Aart Verrips and his staff in Almond Road are now under the watchful eye of one of Blue Security’s ‘eye-in-the-sky’ surveillance camera towers.
“I recommend the system to the community, but of course money is the big issue,” said Aart. “We have an arrangement with Blue Security where if we pay to put up one tower, they will add another at their own cost.”
The wireless camera network monitors the area 24/7 for suspicious behaviour, and if an alarm is activated on the property, live footage is used to aid patrol cars to nab suspects.
Recordings of the CCTV footage will be handed to the SAP to aid in prosecutions.
Aart said he hopes to get other businesses in the St Winifreds area involved in the camera network to increase community safety.
“We’ve had some issues with crime in the past, so we put the cameras up about a month ago. In that time there has been a significant reduction in incidents.
We hope to eventually monitor every access point into Almond Road because we can’t viably build a gated community here, so this is the alternative.”