Hilton Neighbourhood Watch - Minutes of Community Meeting – 2016/06/05Meeting convenors: Craig Millar, Kerry Reid, Charles Webster
Introduction – Craig Millar
• Welcome - meeting open to all
• Highlighted a serious increase in crime across Hilton in the last few weeks
• The community needs solutions! INVOLVEMENT is crucial.
• Requested attendees sign register and indicate willingness to contribute
• Contributions can take the form of admin, patrols, financial contributions to security efforts in Hilton, and in-kind donations
• Welcome - meeting open to all
• Highlighted a serious increase in crime across Hilton in the last few weeks
• The community needs solutions! INVOLVEMENT is crucial.
• Requested attendees sign register and indicate willingness to contribute
• Contributions can take the form of admin, patrols, financial contributions to security efforts in Hilton, and in-kind donations
Meeting on 2016/06/03 between Cllr Millar, Hilton SAPS Station Commander, Capt Mabaso, and the CPF
• Capt Mabaso – indicated SAPS has limited resources – not enough to fight crime alone.
• Doing all they can but need help from the community.
• Whether it is neighbourhood watch / Streethawks, the community must be involved, or the issue will remain.
• The threat is not new, residents have not been involved enough
• Doing all they can but need help from the community.
• Whether it is neighbourhood watch / Streethawks, the community must be involved, or the issue will remain.
• The threat is not new, residents have not been involved enough
Proposed two pronged-approach:
1. Formation of neighbourhood watch – please participate in patrols on (observe and report philosophy) - and if you can’t patrol contribute in other way.
2. Resuscitate existing structures – Hilton Community Security Initiative – subscriptions are low – this affects costs, erodes resources and reduces the efficacy of the Hilton Hawks, which have been proven successful in the past.
2. Resuscitate existing structures – Hilton Community Security Initiative – subscriptions are low – this affects costs, erodes resources and reduces the efficacy of the Hilton Hawks, which have been proven successful in the past.
• Overall: resourcing is the issue – resources can mean paying others to help, or doing it yourself, or both.
• WE SUGGEST BOTH
o Set up citizen patrols
o Get more patrolmen on the streets in the form of the Hawks
• Minutes of the meeting will be disseminated through Hilton Chat FB group
• WE SUGGEST BOTH
o Set up citizen patrols
o Get more patrolmen on the streets in the form of the Hawks
• Minutes of the meeting will be disseminated through Hilton Chat FB group
Attendee input
• Winterskloof TSU is working, could provide an option to the rest of Hilton if required.
• Winterskloof TSU is working, could provide an option to the rest of Hilton if required.
• Whatsapp groups:
o Need to look after one another in local street environments.
o Need guidelines on how to react – whatsapp groups, comms, etc.
o Whatsapp groups are effective – need policing, ensure that info is strictly security related.
o Station commander has identified shift commanders.
o Info from Whatsapp groups should go to shift commanders.
o Whatsapp – each area should have two groups – one for security/emergencies ONLY, the other for general issues
o Need to look after one another in local street environments.
o Need guidelines on how to react – whatsapp groups, comms, etc.
o Whatsapp groups are effective – need policing, ensure that info is strictly security related.
o Station commander has identified shift commanders.
o Info from Whatsapp groups should go to shift commanders.
o Whatsapp – each area should have two groups – one for security/emergencies ONLY, the other for general issues
• Patrols
o SAPS must know who is out – names, vehicle details etc.
o Vehicles must be identifiable – decals
o Vehicles must be in communication with one another and police/security companies - radios, mobile apps
o Fear of leaving families at home (the more people involved the less of an issue, and also, members would patrol own area)
o People want specifics about what the commitment would involve.
o Kerry Reid – description of patrol (two hours at a time, 1-4 patrols per month per person, 1-2 cars per area, Hilton divided into several areas, social aspect and community cohesion is an added benefit).
o Patrols – at least one male in each patrol
o We need commitment from residents!
o Many residents – women alone at home, husbands away at work during the week
o Craig Millar will get hold of security companies – need to move around – park and patrol...not all parked together.
o SAPS will also do blue light patrols.
o SAPS must know who is out – names, vehicle details etc.
o Vehicles must be identifiable – decals
o Vehicles must be in communication with one another and police/security companies - radios, mobile apps
o Fear of leaving families at home (the more people involved the less of an issue, and also, members would patrol own area)
o People want specifics about what the commitment would involve.
o Kerry Reid – description of patrol (two hours at a time, 1-4 patrols per month per person, 1-2 cars per area, Hilton divided into several areas, social aspect and community cohesion is an added benefit).
o Patrols – at least one male in each patrol
o We need commitment from residents!
o Many residents – women alone at home, husbands away at work during the week
o Craig Millar will get hold of security companies – need to move around – park and patrol...not all parked together.
o SAPS will also do blue light patrols.
• Security companies
o We need more involvement from them,
o They need to share resources and communicate between companies
o We need more involvement from them,
o They need to share resources and communicate between companies
• SA CAN
o Have many security companies on board.
o Brian Jones (founder) suggests focus only on a few companies – but this remains prerogative of private citizens, who should be encouraged to select the primary companies in an area so that they are able to commit more vehicles to Hilton
o Suggest all Hiltonians get SA CAN app on their phones available on http://www.sacan.org/ (as far as we know service is free if you already pay for service of one of SA CAN’s affiliates – to be confirmed)
o Have many security companies on board.
o Brian Jones (founder) suggests focus only on a few companies – but this remains prerogative of private citizens, who should be encouraged to select the primary companies in an area so that they are able to commit more vehicles to Hilton
o Suggest all Hiltonians get SA CAN app on their phones available on http://www.sacan.org/ (as far as we know service is free if you already pay for service of one of SA CAN’s affiliates – to be confirmed)
• Hilton Hawks
o They do work! – Winterskloof example, worked in Central Hilton in the past
o Berg Security is supplier
o 24x7 foot patrols in the village
o Supported by dedicated vehicle
o NEED MORE CONTRIBUTORS: only 26% of Hiton contributing
o 10 years ago - 14 patrolmen, now only 6 (2 daytime, 4 night-time) difficult to cover the village with so few feet on the ground
o R200-R250, very low cost.
o They do work! – Winterskloof example, worked in Central Hilton in the past
o Berg Security is supplier
o 24x7 foot patrols in the village
o Supported by dedicated vehicle
o NEED MORE CONTRIBUTORS: only 26% of Hiton contributing
o 10 years ago - 14 patrolmen, now only 6 (2 daytime, 4 night-time) difficult to cover the village with so few feet on the ground
o R200-R250, very low cost.
• Communication
o Hilton Chat FB group please join - Almost all have access to FB
o Whatsap groups
o Whatsapp group directory will be created and shared on Hilton Chat
o Hilton Chat FB group please join - Almost all have access to FB
o Whatsap groups
o Whatsapp group directory will be created and shared on Hilton Chat
• Other suggestions to consider
o Boomgates
o Security cameras
o Boomgates
o Security cameras
• Course of action in an emergency
o Press panic button (security company/SA CAN mobile app)
o Simultaneously call SAPS (10111 / 033-845-6520 / 033-845-6521 / 033-845-6500)
o 033 845 6500 is the Radio control switchboard number
o Mixed reaction from meeting to efficacy of these numbers – operator training is required
o Press panic button (security company/SA CAN mobile app)
o Simultaneously call SAPS (10111 / 033-845-6520 / 033-845-6521 / 033-845-6500)
o 033 845 6500 is the Radio control switchboard number
o Mixed reaction from meeting to efficacy of these numbers – operator training is required
• Personal involvement is key
o This is OUR community
o The question is not: what are other people going to do for me – but what am I going to do for myself?
o Am I contributing? If not why not?
o Speak to your neighbours
o Be smart – make sure potential weapons and tools in your garden are put away.
o This is OUR community
o The question is not: what are other people going to do for me – but what am I going to do for myself?
o Am I contributing? If not why not?
o Speak to your neighbours
o Be smart – make sure potential weapons and tools in your garden are put away.
Way forward
• Overall – Hilton Neighbourhood Watch (HNW) is not meant to replace SAPS, Private Security or Hawks - it is meant to be complementary
• Need a suite of solutions – no single effort is likely to succeed on its own.
• Practical next steps:
o Divide Hilton into zones – correspond with Hawks zones for consistency and ease of co-operation.
o Identify co-ordinator, admin support, WhatsApp co-ordinator for each zone. These may be the same people as Hawks co-ordinator in some cases – as appropriate
o Create and publish maps with names and contact numbers for co-ordinators
o Supply co-ordinators with database of volunteers, and talk to Hawks/HRA to obtain access to existing databases to mine for additional volunteers
o Communicate guidelines and procedures to co-ordinators
o Convenors of this meeting to source decals, decide on communication channels etc
o Area co-ordinators and admins should start working to communicate rules and operational procedures and regulations of HNW to residents
o Co-ordinators and admins should then start working to:
- Recruit members for HNW
- Recruit contributors to Hilton Hawks
- Assign patrollers to shifts
o Divide Hilton into zones – correspond with Hawks zones for consistency and ease of co-operation.
o Identify co-ordinator, admin support, WhatsApp co-ordinator for each zone. These may be the same people as Hawks co-ordinator in some cases – as appropriate
o Create and publish maps with names and contact numbers for co-ordinators
o Supply co-ordinators with database of volunteers, and talk to Hawks/HRA to obtain access to existing databases to mine for additional volunteers
o Communicate guidelines and procedures to co-ordinators
o Convenors of this meeting to source decals, decide on communication channels etc
o Area co-ordinators and admins should start working to communicate rules and operational procedures and regulations of HNW to residents
o Co-ordinators and admins should then start working to:
- Recruit members for HNW
- Recruit contributors to Hilton Hawks
- Assign patrollers to shifts
Call to Action
1. Inbox your name, surname, cellphone number, car make, model, colour and reg number, and what you’re able to contribute to Karen Chapman Zunckel (Contributions can take the form of admin, patrols, financial contributions to security efforts in Hilton, and in-kind donations)
2. Contact the Hilton Hawks asap to sign up as a member: 076 790 6311/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1. Inbox your name, surname, cellphone number, car make, model, colour and reg number, and what you’re able to contribute to Karen Chapman Zunckel (Contributions can take the form of admin, patrols, financial contributions to security efforts in Hilton, and in-kind donations)
2. Contact the Hilton Hawks asap to sign up as a member: 076 790 6311/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
News supplied.