Collaboration to improve security

Collaboration to Improve Security

The past week irrefutably proved what can be achieved with interrelated co-operation between community organisations. We refer specifically to those organisations with the objective to promote and enhance the safety of the residents of Yzerfontein.

Recently Rupert Taljaard, founder and leader of YzerFist, visited resident Mike Thorne for a demonstration of the operation and monitoring facilities of the YRA CCTV system. Mike monitors the cameras for the Neighbourhood Watch and the YRA installed a radio network connection to his home as well as monitoring and recording programs for the new automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and other cameras located in the village.

Number plates of vehicles entering or leaving the village are automatically stored in a database together with a photo of the vehicle.

Soon afterwards Rupert requested a quotation for an ANPR camera installation at the Padstal crossing at the R27. Within a few days of receipt of the quotation, YzerFist deposited the funds for the purpose, nearly R27,000, into the bank account of the YRA. The residents of Yzerfontein owe Yzerfist and Rupert together with his associates who made this new camera installation possible, a most sincere word of thanks.

This will address a critical shortcoming and criminals will now be recorded and can be monitored from the moment they turn off the R27 towards our village.

The YRA chairman, Edward Brittain, conveyed the good news to Koos Liebenberg, chairman of the Neighbourhood Watch (YNW) , who was particularly pleased about the co-operation by YzerFist and immediately offered labour and financial assistance to erect a pole on which the cameras, three in all, are to be mounted.

The YNW already share the monthly fees of the ANPR monitoring program and an Internet connection with the YRA.

Mike Thorne has also canvassed a radio Internet connection from the owner of Netdirect, Marc Knott, at a significant and much appreciated subsidised monthly fee. This connection is essential to connect our CCTV system to those of the Camera Monitoring Group of similar systems in the Cape Peninsula. It also makes it possible to establish a local monitoring group of residents to monitor cameras on their home computers on a continuous basis. The YRA will discuss this matter with all other role players.

We were informed that Marc will become a permanent resident of Yzerfontein during October as he already owns a home in the village. As residents we owe Marc and Netdirect our gratitude for this generous contribution.

The system is maintained by Bernard Mouton with some technical assistance by Edward Brittain. It is now the tenth year since the beginning of the system and the Municipal Manager mentioned that CCTV systems in the Swartland originated in Yzerfontein when the YRA members decided to install it, with funding from residents, in the interest of their own safety.

Bernard has over the years done a great deal for free and we all owe him our sincere gratitude for all he has done to the benefit of  residents.

The co-operation of individuals and organisations mentioned marks a giant leap forward in enhancing our own safety against criminals of which there is no lack of supply. It is imperative that we as residents of Yzerfontein take ownership of all efforts to promote and ensure our safety and to support it financially.

As concerned residents it is also everyone’s responsibility to offer whatever assistance they can to contribute.

We trust that the co-operation mentioned and the outstanding and exemplary results achieved, will motivate all residents to even greater co-operation to ensure the ongoing standard of our lifestyle in Yzerfontein.