Reader requests clarity from Ilka
Ilka announced Patrick Murphy of 072NoCrime as the service provider. I have to ask why Ilka has chosen a security provider which is not registered with the Private Security Regulatory Authority (hence the delay), which does not have an already trained workforce, has little in the way of current resources and has no established control room.
Editor – The last paragraph of “Kensington takes back its suburb” is alarming!
It states that the PPS initiative due to start in October cannot as it does to meet legal requirements. If something is not legal, it is illegal.
Ilka announced Patrick Murphy of 072NoCrime as the service provider. I have to ask why Ilka has chosen a security provider which is not registered with the Private Security Regulatory Authority (hence the delay), which does not have an already trained workforce, has little in the way of current resources and has no established control room. Are the residents of Kensington going to be expected to pay to set this up when we already have the likes of ADT, Chubb, Stallion and various other companies which have this in place? Or will this be done at his expense?
Another area of confusion is that they are getting sponsorship for a vehicle. Is it going to be the property of Ilka or the service provider? If the vehicle is the property of Ilka, but is going to be used for armed response, we no longer have a residents association, we have a security company. If the vehicle is going to be registered in the service provider’s name, then contributors and sponsors are funding a private company. If Ilka changes service providers, the vehicle goes too.
The way the PPS initiative was sold was that vehicles would patrol public spaces yet, when reading this article, Tony de Munnik states that the service provider will:
Respond when an alarm or panic button is triggered
Be only responsible and contractually bound to the client’s property
Will be legally contracted to an individual and not a community
How is the service provider then going to be patrolling public spaces? This is what existing security companies do already for virtually the same price with existing infrastructure that does not require corporate sponsorship or donations from the residents other than their monthly fees.
ILKA needs to be upfront and open about what they are trying to do and how they are trying to do it. There is lack of transparency and too many contradictions.
Utterly Confused and Wary.
Editor’s Comment – I Love Kensington Association’s (Ilka) chairperson, Mr Tony de Munnik commented as follows:
The article states that we had planned to launch in October but want to make sure that PPS has met all legal requirements for such an initiative.
An initiative cannot be illegal if every effort is made to ensure it complies to all legal requirements, and that it will only be launched when this is achieved.
Our article to which the writer refers made no mention of who the service provider will be, so I can only assume that the writer is referring to previous correspondence in this regard.
In our investigation into this matter over three months, all the parties mentioned were requested to present, and between the KSSF Committee and Ilka, they were evaluated utilising the same screening process.
All of these parties operate armed response services and contract individual customers. Some indicated that they will be willing to offer a public space patrolling service only on condition that they were able to actively promote their armed response services to property owners.
Ilka is not willing to actively promote one service of this nature over another for the sake of allowing one of these parties to market their personal services. We are determined to focus our initiative on Public Space Patrolling and not private armed response.
072 No Crime was preferred due to the fact that they are Kensington based and have a meaningful “footprint” in the Kensington area. 072 no Crime only operates in Kensington and they have been informed that they will be required to enter into stringent service level agreements that will measure not only their performance but their legitimacy in this field.
The delays referred to have come from Ilka wanting to be completely satisfied that the agreements it provides for 072 No Crime to complete, protect Ilka and the residents to the ultimate degree. No resident’s contributions have been expended in this process as Ilka has sought legal advice from parties who are willing to contribute to the Ilka cause at no cost.
The point about vehicles is a completely incorrect assumption and a total misrepresentation of the facts.
If Ilka is instrumental in sourcing funding for these vehicles, then it has access to these vehicles for use by its contracted service providers. The contributions made by residents will include not only the cost of vehicles but also the cost of manning them. Should Ilka decide to review the performance of the service provider and then appoint a new service provider then the new party will be required to contract to Ilka to offer such a service including the vehicles. This matter has been investigated thoroughly with other suburbs with similar initiatives.
Ilka is 150 percent committed to transparency and to serving rate payers and property owners. It has no political or other agenda and definitely no contradictions. I don’t think we could be more clear than what we have been, but we are very willing to meet with your “Utterly Confused and Wary” anonymous writer to resolve any matters that they wish to address. To continue this debate in the press is to my mind counterproductive, particularly when allegations are made that blatantly contradict what was written.
