Crime statistics indicate that crime in the area is still on the increase. Crime is a real problem as the perpetrators are getting more and more violent. This is a very big concern for us. We need to PLEASE REPORT ALL INCIDENTS OF CRIME – NO MATTER HOW SMALL? Although the SAPS patrols have increased it has not affected the crime rate positively. Please make sure that your premises is properly secured, during and after hours. Please contact Colonel Nel of Blue Downs Police Station who is the head of Visible Policing in the area for support and information or speak to ST3 Security (021 905 3399) for assistance with Security advice at your premises. Ensure you do not make yourself a target of crime by leaving valuables unattended (In car or in office!) or easily accessible.

ST3 Security has been patrolling and confiscating COCT bins and trolleys and interviewing / profiling suspicious persons and generally securing the public open spaces in the Industrial Area as required by our agreement with them. We will shortly be starting a new survey about crime and crime reporting in Blackheath.

Please visit www.bcid.org.za to find our security weekly and monthly incident reports that may assist you in identifying trends and prevent you from becoming a victim of crime. Incident reports are filed on the home page under incident reports and the weekly and monthly reports under documents. We also send a monthly crime update that compares month on month Security incident statistics and highlights specific issues.

Don’t forget the BCID emergency number on 086 000 BCID (2243) for all Security related emergencies. Call Law enforcement on 107 from the Landline or 021 596 1999 from a cell phone. Call the SAPS on 10111. Report all Municipal Matters via the call centre to 0860 10 30 89.

We have rapidly reached the half-way mark in 2012 and with that we also welcome winter and all the much needed rain that comes along with it. We have used the rain to our advantage this month have fed our Fever and Palm trees in and around Blackheath with some much needed fertilizer to ensure they grow to be beautiful features within the area in years to come. We also went door to door to deliver pamphlets with our website details as well as useful contacts, especially those for legal waste drop off sites. Included was a “Cape Town Working with Waste” pamphlet. If for any reason your business did not receive such a mail drop please contact us on 021 905 0929 and we will ensure you receive one as soon as possible.

The end of June also brings us to the end of our financial year and as we go into audit, we also plan for our Annual General Meeting that is scheduled annually to provide feedback to members on the year and confirm our mandate for the next financial year as per our 5-year Business Plan, Budget and Implementation Plan that the BCID Members approved at our Renewal AGM in 2010. We have now set the date for our Annual General Meeting 2012 for the 19th of September 2012 at 13:00 in the Meeting Room at the Peninsula Beverage Company in School Road in Blackheath Industria.

Last month we reported on new named kerbstones that the Blackheath CID is planning to fund in order to highlight the various intersections and Street names.

I have been contacted by a few companies who would like to mark the street that they are located in with shared marketing boards at the entrance to the Road. I welcome you to contact me regarding this matter and would happily assist with this process that can be funded by the companies in a Street agreeing to share the cost of similar signage.  We jointly agreed that we would not support the installation of individual signage on Council verges as this created a “messy” façade that is not only unsightly, but also illegal.

Please contact me if you would like to initiate a process to name and advertise at the entrance to the Road that you are located in and I can assist with the process of having this legally done with permission from the City of Cape Town and with the necessary participation of your affected neighbours who may want to engage in and also contribute to the cost of such advertising.

The City will conduct a general valuation of all properties on 1 July 2012 as approved by Council.  In accordance with the mass appraisal principles used by the City, the size, sales figures and physical attributes of properties will be taken into account when determining the rateable value of a property.  The final valuation roll will be certified by the Municipal Valuations Officer and submitted to the City Manager on 31 January 2013 and the roll will be open for inspection and the lodging of objections during March and April 2013.  Notices will be posted to property owners in February 2013 to advise them of their GV2012 valuation, and of the procedure to lodge an objection if they disagree with the valuation. The GV2012 values will be available on the City of Cape Town’s website as from end February 2013.

During the past few weeks we have seen an increase in the number of incidents throughout the Western Cape, especially with regards to the number of house break-ins and armed robberies.

We are particularly concerned with the number of driveway armed robberies, most of which have a similar modus operandi:

• Victims are followed from busy intersections, the CBD and petrol stations with convenience stores.
• Suspects are three or four african males, usually in a white or silver hatchback vehicle
• The suspects will identify a potential victim, follow them home and aproach the victim, usually while still in the garage.
• Items stolen are electronic goods, cash, travel and identity documents and vehicles.
• Suspects are armed.

We urge you to remain vigilant, especially whilst you are on your way home.

If for any reason, you believe that you are being followed, simply continue driving. Do a loop in your residential area and if you are still concerned, call the ADT control room and arrange a meet and greet service, or proceed to your local police station.

ADT Community Security Western Cape

Crime statistics indicate that crime in the area is still on the rise.  Crime is on the upsurge in the Western Cape and in South Africa as a whole and not just limited to our area.   ADT Security report an increase in armed robberies across the Western Cape.  Please make sure that your premise is properly secured, during and after hours.  Please contact Colonel Nel of Mfuleni Police Station who is the head of Visible Policing in the area for support and information or speak to ST3 Security for assistance with Security advice at your premises.  Ensure you do not make yourself a target of crime by leaving valuables unattended (In car or office!) or easily accessible.

ST3 reports indicate that there is a big increase in small opportunistic crimes.  This is evident in that their arrests made for May has almost doubled since April.  The culprits steal anything that will sell easily and will get them a quick Rand or two.  We strongly urge you to please report all crime no matter how big or small.  We further request that you please state the total damages to your company in the case and not only that which was stolen, as the total damages will increase the Rand value and thus make it a more serious crime.

ST3 Security has been patrolling and confiscating COCT bins and trolleys and interviewing / profiling suspicious persons and generally securing the public open spaces in the Industrial Area as required by our agreement with them.

Please visit www.bcid.org.za to find our security weekly and monthly incident reports that may assist you in identifying trends and prevent you from becoming a victim of crime. Incident reports are filed on the home page under incident reports and the weekly and monthly reports under documents.  We also send a monthly crime update that compares month on month Security incident statistics and highlights specific issues.

Don’t forget the BCID emergency number on 086 000 BCID (2243) for all Security related emergencies. Call Law enforcement on 107 from the Landline or 021 596 1999 from a cell phone. Call the SAPS on 10111.