T
he central business district (CBD) of a town can be a vibrant space for all, but sometimes people stay away because of safety concerns.
There has been a reduction in crime since the city improvement district (CID) scheme was introduced in Somerset West, with the deployment of public safety officers in the CBD area.
Somerset West Neighbourhood Watch wants, with community help, to reduce crime even further by installing strategically-placed cameras in the CBD.
Somerset West Neighbourhood Watch (SWNW) already has 28 Axis P1354 CCTV cameras located in the Somerset West area to help improve safety.
They have all been purchased through public donation on behalf of the SWNW and have proven their worth over the years, with some notable arrests as a direct result of the evidence captured on camera.
However, the CBD in Somerset West has not benefited from this strategy as, public donations have tended to support cameras in the locations where people reside.
increasing crime levels in the CBD have shown there is a need to extend the camera array. SWNW would like to place a number of cameras in the CBD at known hotspots and other strategic locations.
These cameras would be a combination of street overview and licence plate recognition (LPR) cameras that can warn if suspicious vehicles are in the town.
These cameras will significantly improve the eyes of SWNW, thus acting as a deterrent, and by working closely with the public safety officers contracted to the CBD, it will enable the monitoring of suspicious behaviour and an early reaction to alerts triggered by the cameras.
It will cost R100 000 to install the required cameras. Pam Golding Properties of Somerset West has started the fund with a generous donation and SWNW appeals to the public to make up the difference.
For more information, or for details of how to go about making a donation, email somersetwestnw@gmail.com, visit https://somersetwestnw.org.za/ or the SWNW Facebook page at www.facebook.com/somersetwestnw
