Minutes from the Security Meeting 18th March 2024
Excom members present:
Robin Carlisle
Ulf Martz
Lise Carswell
Valerie Benson
Lathif Gafoor
Approximately 29 residents present
Ulf Martz:
- Welcome from Ulf Martz and introduction to Excom members present.
- At the MDGA AGM, JP Smit asked us to work together in order to improve security.
- With this being an election year, we need to be vigilant
Robin Carlisle:
- Ulf recording meeting
- 2016 the guardians was disbanded.
- Policing is a mess and we need to work together. We know many high ranking police officers are working with the criminals.
- Our existing security is good and if we work together we can turbo-charge security and stay safe.
- There is open unrest in the Military road and Sunrise Circle area and we need to make sure we keep our area safe
- Eastlake Island is busy forming a CID. This means that every rate payer has an extra sum added to their monthly rates bill, which is paid over to the CID and goes toward agreed upon improvements and security in that area. This is set up by council.
- Park Island CID is in operation and hopefully other areas will follow suit.
- There are 51 CID’s in the Cape Town area. There needs to be a 60% vote to start a CID and 50% vote to close it down.
- A CID (City Improvement District) and a SRA (Special Rates Area) are the same thing
- What is the main purpose of a CID?
– 80% is security and a way to manage funds. Many people have stopped contributing towards the security clusters/groups in their neighbourhoods. Having a CID frees people up from lobbying their neighbours and trying to gather funds, and allows them to spend their time more wisely.
– This money can only be spend for the greater good of the CID, not on the security of any individual person
– The rates go up a bit, but once a CID is formed, households don’t need to contribute separately toward security.
- In 2018 Fisherman’s Quay started a security group. People have stopped contributing because they feel safe. A CID would therefore help get the security back on track. Canon Island, Fisherman’s Quay and Battleridge to look into forming a CID. Carrie Hampton and Nicci Tompson Evans to set up a meeting with the relevant security representatives. Boudje Giljam will assist with information.
- Question: Worried that the new security fence at Red Roman Way in Uitsig Peninsula will fall down when it rains. Or that people will be able to dig underneath.
Answer: There is a 10 year guarantee on the fence. It is built low enough to prevent digging and is to high to jump over easily. - Question: Will we change the design manual to allow clearvu fencing? Council prefers clear boundaries.
Answer: The plan is to table this at the AGM. Cheryl Philips asked to put forward an AGM resolution
- The Marina Guardians is an informal and collegial group of Marina involved in security in their area/precinct, or wishing to become involved residents meeting monthly with service providers .
- The Guardians have no authority over the precincts which are fully autonomous.
- The Guardian meetings review the crime report; consider how the weaker precincts can be assisted; encourage precincts without structure to become active; discuss problems/opportunities with the service providers and inform Excom of issues of concern.
- Can we agree to resurrect the Guardians?
– Suggest one or two people from each precinct attend meetings so Guardians can be active in as many areas as possible.
– Guardians is a way to bring all interested parties together.
– Robin wants open door policy.
– Vote: by overwhelming majority vote, the Guardians is reinstated
- Crime statistics from Deep Blue are received regularly
–November – no incidents reported;
–December – Attempted theft of copper pipe on Cannon – 1953 hours on 17.12.23. Perp returned later to threaten the householders;
-Attempted armed robbery corner Shearwater and Eastlake Dr – 2018 hours on 29.12.23. Perps fled on scooter with no registration plates.
–January – Assault, sexual harassment and public disorder – East lake Island Way, East Like Dr, Battleridge Road – 1505 to 1525 on 3.1.24. SAPS declined to investigate.
-Car parked illegally on Fishermans slipway and threatened GBH – 2020 hours on 3.1.24
Attempted theft of boat Park Island Way – 0517 hours on 18.1.24
Visitor kidnapped and cleaned out at ATM in Dabchick Way – Evening of 20.1.24. facts are scarce, but possible solicitation .
-Robbery from vehicle trailor at Uitsig/M5 robots – 1200 hours on 22.1.24.
February – Attempted house break in East Lake Drive between 0900 hours and 1130 hours on Feb 14, 2024.03.30
- We need to fix this. The more active we are, the less active the criminals will be.
- We need to identify and strengthen areas of concern.
- UItsig is identified as an area that needs to be strengthened.
- Canon Island is doing well. People are paying their security group
- Fisherman’s Quay, 31 households paying, 13 not paying = 70% signup for security cameras. Actively working to get more people onboard and many new people have bought into the area. Cost is R350 per month.
- Battleridge not represented at meeting. Doing reasonably okay, but on shaky ground.
- Valerie Benson has details for security WhatsApp groups for Eastlake Drive and Dabchick area. Please contact her if you want the details.
- Robin Carlisle asks to what extent the MDGA Excom should be assisting each precinct. UItsig Peninsula has just been assisted with the new security fence at Red Roman Way. Around R200 000 is spent on security annually by the MDGA. Subs would have to increase substantially if they were to cover all security needs in the area.
– in 2018 there was a resolution at the AGM to increase subscriptions by R114 to increase security.
- We have 60-70 cameras in Marina da Gama (2 cameras at each entrance – Licence plate recognition and overview that the MDGA covers + the cameras run by the security areas)
– We need better monitoring of the cameras and to relook the thresholds for when action is taken
– Robin wants to relook the service providers and contracts
– Should we rent or buy cameras?
– Loadshedding is a huge problem. How do we get around this?
– Will ask Greg Meierhans to head up a technical committee with each precinct to see how we can solve issues
- The Muizenberg Improvement District (MID) is the largest security precinct in the area. They want to work with us and other neighbourhood watches to improve overall security for the area. Robin is in communication with them.
– we should also work with the neighbourhood watches in Military road and Capricorn areas
– We need to meet with Law Enforcement, Metro Police and SAPS and lobby them for better service to MDGA, and to discuss possible violence with the upcoming elections
