Efforts are underway to improve security along the Greenbelt area, between Waterkloof and Brooklyn, as the Community Policing Forum (CPF) prepares to test a new surveillance camera system.

The Brooklyn CPF’s Sector 4 plans to install five cameras at key access points stretching from Waterkloof Club Avenue to the N1 highway, an area residents say has become a security concern.

Sector 4 chairperson Mike Michaelides said the initiative forms part of a phased approach to strengthening safety in the area.

“This project is not for the whole CPF and not even for my whole sector right now. We are going to deal with it in sections,” said Michaelides.

According to Michaelides, the Greenbelt has been identified as a priority area due to multiple access points that can be exploited by criminals.

The area under consideration stretches along the Waterkloof side of the Greenbelt corridor.

“It runs from Waterkloof Club Avenue all the way to the N1 highway, where the Sanral route is. Our first aim is to test these cameras on those perimeters,” he said.

The pilot project will involve installing five cameras to monitor the area and assess the effectiveness of the technology before expanding the system further.

He said the initiative is being funded by a local homeowners’ association (HOA) that has shown interest in improving security in the area.

“The homeowners’ association is going to fund the system, which gives us a perfect opportunity to see if it works or if it doesn’t,” he said.

According to Michaelides, testing the system before expanding it across the community is an important step.

He said he does not believe in putting money on the table and asking the community to buy into something before they have tested it and know whether it works.

If the trial proves successful, the CPF hopes it will encourage more residents and organisations to support the project and expand it across other parts of the sector.

“We will definitely need more help from residents eventually. However, if we can show them that the system works, it will be much easier to market it to the rest of the community,” he said.

The cameras will be monitored around the clock by a private security company. Michaelides said the company involved in the pilot phase cannot yet be disclosed.

While only one company will be involved in the test phase, Michaelides explained that the long-term vision is to include all security companies operating in the area.

He said the CPF hopes to begin installing the cameras within the next two weeks, provided all logistical arrangements are finalised.

Residents have long raised safety concerns along sections of the Greenbelt, which, while valued as a natural recreational space, also has numerous pathways and access points that can be difficult to monitor.

The CPF believes improved surveillance could help deter criminal activity and assist security teams in responding more quickly to incidents in the area.

Michaelides said the project reflects a broader effort by community groups and residents to work together to address safety concerns in the area.

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