Florida Road show of force
The Florida Road UIP partnered with the SAPS and Enforce and conducted a sweep of the area in search of drugs and drug hiding spaces.
IN response to concerns raised by residents and businesses regarding the ongoing drug dealing in the area, the Florida Road UIP (Urban Improvement Precinct) instigated a combined show of force with the SAPS and security company Enforce recently.
Using sniffer dogs, the purpose of the exercise was not only to sweep the area for hidden drugs and drug hiding areas, but to reinforce the fact that Florida Road is under the management of a UIP and as such, illegal activity will not be tolerated.
The teams involved entered at Currie Road, with one dog team heading south and the other heading north. One man was arrested carrying 22 straws of dagga and a number of potential drug storage areas were identified.
According to precinct manager, Gray Braatvedt, it was interesting to note that the word must have got out that a raid was to happen and there were only four car guards on the entire road at the time of the operation. These car guards were all uniformed and were searched and declared ‘clean’.
The teams involved in this operation included the Berea SAPS Crime Prevention Unit, with two drug sniffer dogs, the Enforce area managers and investigation team, the sector policing forum members and the Florida Road UIP.
This was the first of many such joint operations planned for Florida Road that will see the SAPS working with the UIP to clean up the precinct.
An Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) is a term given to a vehicle used to manage public spaces. Implemented abroad and throughout South Africa UIP’s (also known as City Improvement Districts / Business Improvement Districts) successfully tackle the threat of urban decay, retain existing investment, stimulate new investment, improve safety and quality of life, and respond to the challenge of environmental sustainability.
In South Africa, with no correlation between the rand value of municipal rates paid and service levels delivered to an area, there is a set service level throughout the municipality. This means that despite some areas contributing more to the rates base, service will remain the same. For this reason, property owners in key economic nodes come together to fund the establishment and management of public space management structures which builds investor confidence, strengthens property values and enhances quality of life.
In Kwa-Zulu Natal, this structure is known as a UIP or Special Ratings Area (SRA) and is classified as a geographic area within which the majority of property owners agree to pay for certain services supplementary to those supplied by the municipality. Essentially, the UIP fills the gap in service delivery to public areas thus ensuring the desired level of safety and quality of public areas and add measurable value for all stakeholders.
