Together we can effectively combat crime

“Unemployment is a reality in our country How many matriculants are actually going to find employment?” says Pieter van Zyl, owner of Hi-Tech Security. “Unfortunately you can’t survive without money and eventually some will turn to crime as a means of survival. The onus is on the lodge owner or residential house owner to ensure they have adequate security in place to protect their guests.”

This highlights the need for lodges and resort owners to report any and all crime which has taken place on their properties to the SAPS and their individual security companies. Recently an incident occurred, which was confirmed by the victims, that was not reported to either SAPS or their security company. In another incident – although the crime was reported to police – the relevant party denied that it ever happened when questioned by their security company.

“Those lodges that hide criminal incidents are not helping to solve crime in those areas,” says Van Zyl. “In fact, they are committing a criminal offence themselves. The first rule in the hospitality industry is to keep guests safe. There are several syndicates presently operating in and around the town.
The majority of criminals are not opportunists working on their own.”

“They work in groups gathering intelligence on their target prior to the crime being committed. They usually scout the lodge or property for weeks in advance. In order for security companies to provide an effective service which includes follow-ups after the incident, working closely with SAPS and utilising the skills of our trained staff to capture the criminals, they need to be informed when something has happened at a lodge. Hiding it from SAPS, the security company and/or media defeats the purpose of getting a handle on the crime situation in Hazyview.”

“What I find astounding is that some lodges continue to think that by hiding the crime activities, they will keep attracting more tourists and maybe the problem will go away by itself.Those visitors who experience crime g o home and inform all their friends about the dangers in this area.”

“There are lodges and resorts that do take their security and those of their guests very seriously and the results speak for themselves. They are not being targeted by criminal elements and their visitors return time and again. Unfortunately there are others who provide a very low standard of security which places their guests at risk and add to the image of Hazyview as a place where crime is rampant.”

What about the argument that security has become too expensive to afford?
“No, it is not valid. You don’t have to utilise the services of a guard for a full month. Get a guard for the busy nights.”

“There are numerous solutions available to address the client’s needs. In my opinion, the least a lodge owner can do is to provide adequate security for his visitors.”

The fact remains that there are many people who find security too expensive. Their only resort is to hope that the SAPS will be there to assist them. They also have a right to protection from dangerous criminals, but how then do they get access to security when they can’t afford fees ranging from R350 per month upwards?

According to Van Zyl there are many affordable security options available to the public and lodge owners. “I can’t speak for the industry. My company’s fee structure ranges from R50 upwards and offers a variety of options.
“The R50-service offers a panic-button service on your cellphone. The client presses one button on his cell and an alarm is sent directly to our control room via a repeater system and not the cellphone network. The control room receives the detail of your property’s location and a vehicle is immediately dispatched. In this way a security service is provided to the lower income groups as well.”

Presently there is an array of security products available to the consumer comprising electric fencing, beams and panic buttons, all operated via an alarm system. Since the face of crime is continually changing, how do security companies adapt to these changes?

According to Van Zyl, security companies are now beginning to focus on the creation of a barrier between the criminal and the potential victim. “A barrier must be created which will provide the security team the opportunity to get to criminals before they reach their victims. You don’t want to catch the criminal in the lodge or in someone’s house.”

“The robbers must be caught before they get into the lodge or house. That is the ideal scenario but can only be achieved through the extensive use of technology by the security industry. The human factor in a security system always has the potential of being corrupted, and by using technology this risk is eliminated. The industry is presently investing on a large scale in infrastructure, the setting up of off-site monitoring and utilising remote cameras and remote beams. to ensure that they will be able to provide crime-combating techniques in the future.”

When Van Zyl was asked what message he could give lodges and residents to remain relatively safe in a crime-ridden area, he stated that it was time they took back their neighbourhoods from the criminals.

“When I grew up children played in the streets and if there were any strangers in the area, everybody knew about them. A good example in Hazyview where a sector of the community have taken back their area is that of Kiepersol.
“Those farmers know what is happening in their surrounds and who is moving in and out. They have cameras running all the time, they have their own network and their own security company. The success of their approach to crime speaks for itself as there has not been a serious crime incident in the past two years.”