Press coverage Archives - GP/OK CID (City Improvement District)

High tech upgrade and more CCTV cameras to combat crime

Posted on September 28, 2021September 28, 2021 by Yellow Door

Cape Town receives new CCTV surveillance cameras. Photographer: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)

Cape Town – The City of Cape Town is undergoing a high-tech upgrade to combat crime with the addition of new CCTV cameras around the Green Point and Oranje-Kloof City Improvement District (GP/OKCID).

According to Securus Protection Services, 88 overview cameras and 16 Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) CCTV cameras will be installed around the De Waterkant and Oranje-Kloof areas by the end of September.

Since the GP/OKCID began expanding its network of only 25 cameras in 2018, a total of 20,805 suspicious incidents have been identified by the CCTV cameras and 1793 arrests made.

Securus Protection Services Contract Manager Dolph Venter said the additional cameras will be distributed throughout the city and suburban regions to help decrease petty crime that’s been of concern for residents, visitors, and business owners.

“Fitted with the latest and smartest technology, the cameras will be installed in crime hotspots that have been identified by the GP/OKCID. The cameras are connected to a fibre network, which feeds the video footage into GP/OKCID’s security partner, Securitas’ control room, where it is monitored in real time and stored for 7 Days . The control room functions 24/7 and is staffed by trained operators,” said Venter.

Green Point & Oranje-Kloof City Improvement District chief executive Marc Truss, said the aim was to improve the quality of life and safety of those in the city.

“Over the past five years, crime in De Waterkant and Gardens has experienced a 92% decrease. The footage recorded by our cameras helps us respond to a large number of the incidents that occur in our areas. When an incident takes place in an area monitored by one of our cameras, we’re able to refer back to the footage to identify who was involved and take note of the direction they go when they leave the scene.”

“Our network of CCTV cameras has always enabled us to track down criminals quickly and effectively. All of our cameras are monitored by Watchcom 24/7, who will alert us if they notice any suspicious activity. This has helped us prevent a number of crimes, as we continue to question and search for suspicious persons if we feel it’s necessary and find incriminating items on many occasions,” said Truss.

Metro Police spokesperson Ruth Solomons said that the use of advanced CCTV technology assists the City’s enforcement agencies in terms of crime prevention.

“CCTV footage is always known to provide vital information in criminal cases. The control room plays an integral part in identifying possible criminal activity and communicating the information to Metro Police officers on patrol. I think along with the new set of camera footage from CCTV cameras, it will enhance with intricate information on possible crime patterns and valuable intelligence gathering,” said Solomons.

GP/OKCID receives five-year contract renewal

Posted on June 4, 2021 by GPOKCID

Published on: The Atlantic Sun

Green Point and Oranje-Kloof City Improvement Districts (GP/OKCID) has had its contract renewed for five years by the City of Cape Town.

Chief executive, Marc Truss, says strong relationships with the City, SAPS, Law Enforcement, Traffic and Metro police have always formed the foundation of everything they do.

“However, what gives us our sustainable competitive advantage is that we’re able to build relationships with individual business owners and residents in our area, and support them in various ways when they need help.

“Looking forward, we want to make sure that everyone in our areas knows about the GP/OKCID, what we do and that they are always welcome to contact us. For example, if they have a flat battery in their car and need it to be jump-started; to clear overgrown trees or litter on their street; or for responsive 24/7 security assistance should they feel at risk.

“This real-time correspondence with our community allows us to address the issues quickly and effectively, and help make the area a better one to live, work and play for all.”

Mr Truss says additional challenges have developed as a result of the pandemic and the GP/OKCID wants to be part of the solution – whether it’s addressing the issue around homelessness or helping small businesses get back on their feet. “We can do this by leveraging our network and connecting people to those that may be able to help if we can’t do it ourselves.”

GP/OKCID security manager, Marius Swanepoel, says they take a proactive approach to combating crime.

“In the next few years, we plan to use more cameras, increase the number of vehicles we have on the road with active patrols and carry out more crime operations in both areas.”

Ward 115 councillor, Ian McMahon, says Green Point and De Waterkant residents feel comforted the GPCID will offer top-up services for five more years.

“Working so closely with Marc Truss, as councillor, I see the positive impact that is delivered to all in the GPCID area, and added to that is the proposed boundary extension that will shortly happen to offer these services to more residents and businesses of Green Point.”

Contact the GP/OKCID 24/7 patrollers to report suspicious activity or for assistance:

GPCID patrol vehicle (24hr): 082 214 3228

OK CID patrol vehicle (24hr): 082 217 1386

Sub-council praises CIDs for their work during lockdown

Posted on March 24, 2021September 28, 2021 by GPOKCID

Source: The Atlantic Sun

Sub-council has applauded the work done by the Oranje-Kloof Green Point City Improvement District during lockdown.The City Improvement District (CID) teams have done tremendous work while dealing with difficult situations on the ground during lockdown.

This was heard at the Sub-council 16 meeting on Monday March 15 where CIDs from different areas within Sub-council 16 presented their annual reports.

CEO of the Oranje-Kloof and Green Point City Improvement District, Marc Truss, told the sub-council that the past year had been tough and and that they had had to manage the expectations of their property owners in a very different light.

He said even during the hard lockdown they had continued to serve the community but had also had to deal with issues that hadn’t previously been ’’part of the equation”.

“It’s been a tough year and it was definitely not business as usual,” he said.

Sub-council 16 chairman, Matthew Kempthorne, said the service provided by the CIDs during the hard lockdown had made a huge difference.

“They have been handling difficult situations during a difficult time, interacting with people on the ground and one could see the difference when driving in areas with CIDs,” he said.

Ward 77 councillor Brandon Golding said the communities had seen growth in the number of people living on the streets. “But had it not been for the CIDs, we would have seen more than what we’re seeing now,” he noted.

Category: Press coverage

High tech upgrade and more CCTV cameras to combat crime

GP/OKCID receives five-year contract renewal

Sub-council praises CIDs for their work during lockdown

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