Power Rangers of Ruimsig unite!
"The unfortunate reality is, due to a lack of resources and manpower, we win a few battles, but we are not winning the war."
A trio of businessmen in the Ruimsig and Honeydew area is taking a stand against crime.
Gert Botes, Hennie Cloete and Alan Needham have founded an association of voluntary members to reduce crime and cable theft among others, and secure their neighbourhood. Through this, the Power Rangers Neighbourhood Watch (PRNW) was born.
“We want to do everything in our power to combat crime in our community,” exclaimed Cloete, whose family have been staying in Roodepoort for 40 years and counting.
Botes has been a part of the Honeydew/ Ruimsig community for two-and-a-half decades and has been on the frontlines of the fight against crime in his neighbourhood for years.
“As a community, we need to stand together and make our neighbourhood a safe space,” explained Botes.
“We are simply a group of concerned and highly frustrated residents that have decided enough is enough and we want to try to do something to curb the cable theft in our area,” added Needham, a businessman who has lived in Roodepoort for 23 years.
The trio plan on showing the community their dedication to curbing crime through actions rather than words. According to Botes, the Power Rangers have touched base with Honeydew police and the community policing forum sector three members to assist them in their fight. The Power Rangers are equipped with an arsenal of 60 vehicles patrolling the streets from the boundaries of Cypress, Johan, Beyers Naudé and Peter Roads.
“The unfortunate reality is, due to a lack of resources and manpower, we win a few battles, but we are not winning the war,” stated Needham.
“We have put together a list of what we know about the ‘enemy’ [perpetrators] so far. We are treating this as an intelligence reconnaissance.”
Needham elaborated on the conditions that the patrollers operate in and emphasised that the patrollers work in the dark with or without a torch, with property verges overgrown and potentially camouflaging the cable thieves.
He added that their route is long, giving ample time for the perpetrators to continue on their mission of stealing cables.
“They operate in groups of 10 or 12, they know our routine and are working around it,” exclaimed Needham, “In short, they are adapting to our methods, for example, they used to simply walk down the road when there were no patrols, now they approach through paths in the bush or even through people’s properties. The bottom line is that if they want a piece of cable they will find a way to take it; we are simply a one-minute disturbance as we drive past.”
Many will ask what the solution is to assist the Rangers under the current modus operandi.
“The reality is it is going to get worse; City Power does not have the resources to combat this problem let alone the money to keep on replacing cables. You will be without power for weeks,” elaborated Needham, “We are not asking you to throw down your life and storm the beaches of Normandy; all we are asking is that you drive in your comfortable car for a few hours a month to create a presence.”
The trio also concurred that if residents are unable to go out and help patrol the streets, there are other ways to assist the PRNW.
“We need to set up motion sensor cameras throughout the neighbourhood so that the Rangers can monitor the entire area at the same time, in fact almost anyone can link to the network and do the same. I have first-hand feedback from a neighbourhood in Cape Town that has done this and not only stopped cable theft but also driven out crime altogether,” stated Needham.
He went on to explain that a resident can sponsor a camera that is placed on their property or a street can club together to put up the required amount of cameras.
“It is a small price to pay for peace of mind and quality of life,” added Needham.
Another way that the PRNW plans on keeping its community safe is by establishing a visible operational communication room where members of the community can contact them 24/7.
“We are thinking of creating an ops room that we can move around in our neighbourhood to ensure its effectivity,” explained Botes.
“Our mission is to reduce the crime in our area by at least 80% in three years,” concluded Cloete, adding that the PRNW will operate as a non-profit association.
If you are a resident of Ruimsig or Honeydew and want to volunteer with the Rangers team, contact Needham on 082 656 7447, Botes on 062 647 0182 or Cloete on 082 920 8081.
