Security increased at Donovan McDonald
The Department of Human Settlements says it is attending to the rise in crime incidents at Donovan McDonald Retirement Centre.
The crime situation at Donovan McDonald Retirement Centre is receiving attention.
This is according to answers provided by the Department of Human Settlements to questions posed by the Roodepoort Record in the wake of three crime incidents at the beleaguered centre in recent weeks.
Human Settlements communications officer Bubu Xuba says the department was made aware of the crime incidents as they occurred.
“JMPD was contacted and they reacted accordingly. The department also visited the site and has copies of the incident book where all incidents are recorded. All matters are being dealt with by law enforcement and the department will provide any assistance required,” she says.
Xuba adds that additional measures are being put into place to safeguard the facility and its elderly residents.
“The safety of the elderly residents remains our top priority. In response to the ongoing risks, the City has strengthened security measures at the centre and collaborated with law enforcement to respond swiftly to reports of criminal activities or threats.
“When incidents are reported, the police are notified immediately to provide support. The City has recently posted more private security in this and other facilities in the region patrols in the facility have been increased.
“The department in the region is also working with local groups such as the Florida South Residents Association and the community police forum to ensure that communication and information are shared between the stakeholders.”
That said, there are still obvious flaws in the security, such as an installed camera system which does not work.
Questioned about this, Xuba says that the cameras and other infrastructure in the facility were damaged due to ‘constant vandalism and theft’.
“The department has plans in place to prioritise the security upgrades in the facility as budget allows.”
Meanwhile, the department continues to refuse the Record access to the outcome of a forensic investigation that was conducted at the centre between June and July this year, and to the security occurrence book, citing that they had been advised by their legal representatives not to make this public.
