An improvement districts’ Public Safety and Security mandate is only for the public spaces within its area, not for the safety and security of private properties. These are answers to questions frequently asked by MID residents which we hope will clarify the roles.
| There are 6 bin pickers strewing rubbish all over our street. Can I call the MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle? | Yes, although bin picking is a social issue and not a crime, we do discourage it and will respond. Bin picking creates a mess and draws loiterers which in turn creates an environment conducive to crime. Our approach would be to ensure that they do not make a mess. This interaction will also give the MID Public Safety officers an opportunity to determine who these individuals are and what potential risk they do or do not pose. |
| A vagrant keeps ringing my door bell and won’t go away. Can I call the MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle? | Yes, it will give us an opportunity to interact with the vagrant and assess if it is in fact a vagrant or potential criminal who may be checking who is at home. It also gives MID an opportunity to create a visible presence in the area which in itself is a good deterrent to crime. |
| I see someone climbing over my wall. Can I call the MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle? | The SAPS or your armed response service provider should be called for an incident such as this as it is a potential crime on private property while the MID is responsible for public spaces only. Remember that private security companies who have contracts with property owners have the right to access their clients’ property, whereas law enforcement authorities and public safety service providers contracted to the MID do not. |
| I am going to be arriving home late at night and as a single woman I feel scared to get out of my car and walk to my house. Can I call the MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle? | We are not always able to guarantee the presence of our MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle in instances like this because if three people asked for this at the same time, two people would end up being disappointed. This is an instance where you could also call your armed response service provider or alert a neighbour who is on a street WhatsApp group you are part of. |
| A car guard at the beach kept harassing me for money and I got quite scared. If this happens again, can I call the MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle? | Yes, it is unacceptable behaviour in a public space and the MID Public Safety patrol vehicle would assist in an incident like this. |
| I hear someone trying to break into my car parked outside my house. Can I call the MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle? | We would advise residents to contact the SAPS and their armed response service provider first. The MID Public Safety patrol vehicle will assist but should not be the first respondent for a matter such as this. |
| My girlfriend and I got mugged by three guys in a car while we were walking to the train station at 05h45 last week. Could the MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle please drive along Holland and Albertyn roads at this time? | Yes, the streets you mention naturally fall into the area which we continually patrol and the MID Public Safety patrol vehicle will respond to suspicious people in the area being reported to us. We will investigate the activities reported and post the number plates of these cars on our system. However, we are responsible for patrolling all the streets in the MID so we would not be able to guarantee that the MID Public Safety patrol vehicle will be available in a specific street at a specific time each morning. |
| There are two suspicious looking guys loitering in our street, casing out the houses and urinating in public. Can I call the MID Public Safety Patrol vehicle? | Yes. It would give us the opportunity to provide visibility as a deterrent as well as give us the opportunity to profile the persons reported in order to prevent a crime or future crimes from happening. |
| What the MID seems to be saying now is that we, the rate payer, may no longer call the security provider for any safety incidents related to our house, our car or our business. It sounds like we would then have to contact the police, which we all know does not work, and people are not going to call them because it is a waste of time. | While we hear and have sympathy with your frustrations regarding SAPS response, it remains your responsibility as a citizen to report ALL CRIMES to SAPS 021 787 9000 or at the Muizenberg Police Station. SAPS Emergency 10111. Insist on getting the service that is your right as a citizen. As a citizen you need to hold SAPS accountable through the Community Police Forum (CPF). However you are are encouraged to advise MID of problems encountered while trying to report a crime so that these problems can be raised. The MID liaises closely with policing and law enforcement agencies, the MCSI, residents and businesses and this level of collaboration is key to effective coordination of the MID Public Safety and Security Strategy. |
| Can you explain to me exactly what the MID area includes? | From Main Road, the MID area runs down Albertyn Road to Vlei Road. From Vlei Road to the beachfront and from the beach front back to main road with the inclusion of Muizenberg Park, both both streets next to Muizenberg Park and the Slow Life Block. It also includes Muizenberg Station and part of Gill Road. In 2016 the majority of property owners in Wherry and Henley Roads and the upper parts of Clevedon and Cromer roads signed consent to be included in the MID. The boundary extension is currently underway with implementation planned for July 2017. |