ADT recently donated a two-way radio system to the Westville Police Station which will be used by the Westville SAPF Community Service Centre to communicate with the ADT Security guards monitoring the access points in their Dawncliffe Community Security Project.
Colonel Ellen Emanual thanked ADT for their generous donation, adding that she is grateful for ADT’s level of support and commitment towards effective crime fighting initiatives and for assisting the community and Westville SAPF.
This two way radio system is one of many contributions that ADT have made to further sustain efficient communication between their officers and various crime prevention and monitoring organisations. Such initiatives include the donation of fourteen and four two-way radios to the Cowies Hill Neighbourhood Watch and Manors Neighbourhood Watch respectively.
In conjunction with the donation of the two-way radio systems, ADT remain actively involved in regular night patrols with the Cowies Hill, Manors and Padfield Park Neighborhood watch members.
At a recent evening street patrol, Craig Hildebrandt, Cowies Hill Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator praised ADT for their active participation. “Thank you for going above and beyond by bringing your leaders, office staff and supervisors to support the armed response crews on the ground. The evening turned out to be a huge success, and I have received a lot of positive feedback from the community. We once again applaud your support for our community,” said Mr. Hildebrandt.
Graham Boys, Managing Director of ADT KwaZulu-Natal says: “ADT is committed to supporting neighborhood watches and CPF’s as we believe that partnerships like these can yield positive results in the fight against crime.”

Photo: L-R Mark Freeman (ADT Community Liaison Officer), Colonel Sikhosana, Colonel Emmanual, Colonel Stewart,
Kieth du Randt (ADT Community Liaison Officer)

We aim to deliver the parcels to the Banana City children in the early weeks of December, hoping that it will be a good Christmas for them. The SAPS are grateful for all the assistance from private individuals and the Community Policing Forum for all their assistance.

From Left to Right: Mr Kevin Harvey presenting Certificates of Appreciation to Jenny Kruger, Kerry Sharp and Debbie Harvey on behalf of
Mrs Eileen Peetz

From L to R: Sgt. Stephen Clark presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to Cst. Philip Easterbrook on behalf of Wayne at Garway Auto Services at the November Westville CPF Meeting.

One challenge we face in the SAPS is the never ending need to service and repair vehicles. Unlike a private person’s car, a police vehicle is driven upwards of 20 hours a day, seven days a week. The engine barely cools before the next driver hops in for his shift. Work out for yourself what sort of mileage an average van does in a month if it covers 3 to 400 km in two 12 hour shifts every day. Remember this applies to most stations in the country. As there are a limited number of mechanics at the State garage, our vehicles can wait weeks for attention. Then there could be the wait for parts to be ordered and delivered and then the work itself could be time consuming.
When service delivery, let alone catching criminals in a wide area like Westville relies on mechanical transport, every set of four wheels count. It was quite a serious issue then, when the Ford Focus, our Crime Prevention used for pursuit or speeding to progress complaints, packed up. The State garage told us straight we would be waiting a long time, since it had only recently come out from them off an unrelated issue.
Enter Wayne at Garway Auto Services cc in Pinetown. Very luckily, one of our CP members, Cst Phil Easterbrook is a long-time friend of Wayne’s. Without hesitation, Wayne took in the Ford, located the problem and repaired it. No questions, no quotes, no asking who is going to pay. He just wanted to do what it took to get the Police car back on the road. After changing the starter motor and doing other electrical odds and ends the cost crept up to R10 000! The same day it went in, the Ford was ready and when Cst Easterbrook collected it he was presented with a Tax invoice bearing the words, “No Charge.”
See it is one thing to stand, raise your voice and point fingers. It’s another altogether to find who can actually solve the problem. It’s also a completely different attitude and approach to actually want to remedy a situation. Wayne could have been a person who complained that the Police aren’t visible and they keep breaking their cars, or, he could have done what he did.
There’s great magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment. Our sincere thanks and appreciation go out to Wayne and his team for their support, kindness and friendship to the Westville SAPS.

Let us look at a few examples.
When walking in shopping centres and other public places stay alert and be aware of what is going on around you. Keep handbags securely held against your body. Use shop windows as mirrors to see if anyone is following you or watching you. If you need assistance or feel unsafe, go into any shop and ask for the Centre Security to escort you back to your vehicle.

Try as much as possible not to carry a lot of cash. Most shops and restaurants are equipped to pay with Debit or Credit cards.
If you have to carry cash, again separate it into smaller bundles and do not display large amounts or denominations.

Try not going into public toilets alone. If this is unavoidable, leave your valuables with a partner or friend.

Express a bold body language. Nothing says “victim” like a nervous person, head down, clutching their belongings.
PLEASE DO NOT go to a bank to deposit large amounts of cash with it wrapped up under your arm in a CNA packet. Who are you fooling?

If you have to use a bank or cash exchange bureau, secure the money in a bag or wallet before leaving the store. Try and do it out of sight of anyone outside. When walking out, look at people around you. Did anyone catch your eye or did you see anyone loitering around? Stay alert. If you do not feel safe, again ask for a Security Official to escort you to your vehicle.

Do not accept help from anyone at an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). There are guards stationed near them in all major shopping centres. Alert them if you feel unsafe or if someone is bothering you. If necessary, cancel the transaction, get your card back and leave.

Try not to stray off the beaten path. Go to well known shopping centres and venues. You are less likely to get lost or run into any type of trouble.

Keep reliable people informed as to your cell phone number, where you are and what time you are expected back. If there is an emergency, someone will know where to find you.

Please note that one of the biggest threats against someone is denial. “It won’t happen to me” syndrome, or even worse, just waiting for it to happen and hoping they make it out alive. That is a completely defeatist attitude and someone like that can have a free ride from me to the airport when they emigrate.

Once more: these tips are not to make you afraid. By following each one, you are drastically reducing the percentage chance of becoming a victim of crime.
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

The Festive season is now upon us and criminals will be on the lookout for easy targets like those who have filled their homes with gifts and those who will enjoy some, perhaps unusually enthusiastic, celebration of the end of a year and the anticipation of a New Year filled with hope. These scenarios lend themselves to a possible drop in the individual’s normal guard and provide easy ‘pickings’ for a criminal mind. Unfortunately this does not preclude some normally very average citizens who find themselves short of finances but tempted to acquire desired items in replacement of worn goods. Top of these lists are usually items like laptops, cell phones and perhaps expensive items of clothing. A “set up” insurance claim crime such as theft out of a motor vehicle, or even from home, perhaps requiring only the breaking of a small window, is becoming a regular event, prompted once again by greed. But if this should enter your head as an extra item of “Christmas Shopping”, please forget it – both the Police forces and Insurance Companies are well aware of these, sometimes rather amateurish, attempts at fraud and you will get court.

Please enjoy a crime free and fully enjoyable Festive Season, but if you do come across incidents of crime report it directly to 10111 and STAY SAFE AND HAPPY!

I do believe that all readers will go along with the idea that major crime, across all countries in the world, and with every type of policing authority, can only be solved and suspects bought to book on evidence of facts. The acquisition of fact could take some type of co-operation from the general public and a great deal of work from those policing authorities working on truthful proven information received. It just won’t help very much if information is provided as definite fact and later proved to be a figment of a vivid imagination or an attempt to gain the limelight.

The Festive season is now upon us and criminals will be on the lookout for easy targets like those who have filled their homes with gifts and those who will enjoy some, perhaps unusually enthusiastic, celebration of the end of a year and the anticipation of a New Year filled with hope. These scenarios lend themselves to a possible drop in the individual’s normal guard and provide easy ‘pickings’ for a criminal mind. Unfortunately this does not preclude some normally very average citizens who find themselves short of finances but tempted to acquire desired items in replacement of worn goods. Top of these lists are usually items like laptops, cell phones and perhaps expensive items of clothing. A “set up” insurance claim crime such as theft out of a motor vehicle, or even from home, perhaps requiring only the breaking of a small window, is becoming a regular event, prompted once again by greed. But if this should enter your head as an extra item of “Christmas Shopping”, please forget it – both the Police forces and Insurance Companies are well aware of these, sometimes rather amateurish, attempts at fraud and you will get court.

Please enjoy a crime free and fully enjoyable Festive Season, but if you do come across incidents of crime report it directly to 10111 and STAY SAFE AND HAPPY!

by Justin Foxton

A not-so-new form of bullying has reared its head again recently. An article in the Mercury in August cited three British cases where teenage victims had eventually resorted to suicide to escape the relentless attacks. The aggressors were so ruthless that a Facebook page set up in memory of one victim still had the bullies post insulting comments on it. What I’m talking about is Cyber bullying. As communication between people of all ages has moved more into computer media, bullying of this nature can be affected right into your home or onto a cell phone. This can also make it impossible to escape as the victim doesn’t even have to be at the same school or even town as the aggressors. A cruel nature of the act is the existence of “joiner inners”. Other kids, who have no relation to the situation, simply start adding their two cents worth and therefore compounding the situation.
I decided to draft what could be used as a template to firstly stop the bullying and correct the offender and his or her actions. What I suggest below is in line with both the Children’s Act which protects children who are victims and the Child Justice Act which prescribes actions against children who are offenders.
The first thing to remember is that you as the parent have ultimate control in this. This goes for the bully and the victim. You give them the cell phone; you provide them with the computer and internet. That makes it your responsibility for what happens on those media. You have the right to see what your child is writing or what pictures they are showing. It is not private! It is already in a public domain for others to see, so you may view it too. I have to address the denial factor. (This is a double edged sword.) Do not deny your child has done anything wrong as a matter of instinct and before you have seen any evidence or heard what the victim has to say. Emphatically insisting your little angel is innocent can be very embarrassing when presented with copies of sms’s or online comments. Do not deny that your child is a victim. If they approach you with a problem, they expect you as a parent and an adult to fix it. Ignoring the problem or claiming its insignificance can have tragic consequences. I speak from experience. At one stage in junior school I was bullied by a few classmates. It was in the form of ridicule and intimidation. I was too scared to report the matter to my parents as I knew they would either ignore it or blow a fuse and overreact. Not many people knew that I was severely depressed. My school work suffered and my poor marks were blamed on laziness and lack of diligence. Above all, you have to be a parent who your child must feel comfortable to approach and know that you will help and solve the issue in a structured and mature manner.
Step one. If you discover or your child informs you that they are being bullied take it seriously. Discuss the issue in an environment when you can give the kid your full attention and you can think. It has probably taken a lot of courage for the child to even get to the point of informing you. If you get distracted or brush them off and say they must tell you later, that later could be finding your daughter on the bathroom floor, as 15 year old Megan Gillian’s parents did when she died of an overdose of pills (The Mercury 8-8-2011). Verbally confirm to your child that the matter is serious and you are going to help them. Getting hysterical and father’s threatening the other party’s father is just as bad and counter productive as ignoring the problem. Ask to see the messages on the computer or cell phone. Download them into a separate file and if possible print them. This is important as it is both a confirmation of what is going on and evidence to the offender/s.
Two, discuss with the child what remedy they would like. We all know they just want it to stop, but they need to state that to you both as confirmation and affirmation in their heads that what is happening is wrong and they do not deserve it. The problem with bullying is that it can get to a stage that the victim’s self esteem is so broken down that they can eventually believe that they deserve the treatment and put up with it for a devastatingly long time. State to the child in a calm manner what steps you are going to take in resolving the issue. It could be as simple as changing their phone number or settings on social sites, deleting “friends” etc. If they wish further action, make them understand that once the process starts, if they back out, it will be very difficult to restart and will very likely give the bully strength to continue their behavior.
To be continued in the next issue of CrimeZero #13

The latest gadget, it seems every person has to have, is a GPS module. These, to many people are God sends.My cynicism stems from the apparent casualness to which expensive and potentially dangerous pieces of equipment are treated.

How many owners of GPS’s have their home addresses programmed in? Don’t you know where you live? Surely if self preservation is an instinct you possess, you would not want that information to fall into the wrong hands? A much better idea is to program in a key point close to where you live, such as a shopping mall or petrol station. If you are travelling out of town, I am sure you could find your way back to your driveway once you are in your home suburb.

On the point of the GPS falling into the wrong hands, the unit should never be kept on the driver’s right side, close to the window. This is far too easy a target and a created opportunity for smash and grab type robberies. The harder it is for a potential criminal to get to an item, the less likely it is he can actually steal it. If the unit is in the middle of the dashboard, the crook has to get past the window and whoever is sitting in a chair before grabbing it. Secondly, there is far too much complacency with community members leaving the units exposed when parking at a shopping mall for example. We are reminded time and time again to keep valuables out of sight. Why is a GPS excluded? It is again, too easy for a crook to pick it up. He will happily risk the howling car alarm, which everyone ignores, to reach in and pluck the GPS and power cable off the mounting.

Take the half minute just after putting on your gear lock to take the unit down and store it in a handbag, pocket or if you are absolutely sure nobody is watching you, (no you aren’t) put it in the glove box or another concealed storage box.

Think like a criminal. If I wanted to really do someone damage, one of the best things to gain is information about that person. What better storehouse of personal info is a GPS? It will tell me where you go, when, what route you take, and how long you go there. Better still, it will tell me where you live in case I want something from your home.

We safeguard our computers at work with passwords, our homes with alarms, spike fences and Rottweilers, so why don’t we protect the one piece of equipment that can tell a criminal all our comings and goings? All the advice of changing routine, being more alert, and taking precautions when travelling comes to nought if we don’t protect the item that stores all that information.

Community participation  and involvement is needed in Lahee Park. One of the major problems in the Pinetown area is the general state of Lahee Park.
This unique park, which was donated to the people of Pinetown by a local pig farmer Mr Lahee, was developed into a sporting facility. This facility has unfortunately been neglected over the years.
In a recent restructure, the facility was classed a stadium, and fell under a severely under–resourced department of the Ethekwini Metro. In fact the staff  complement to maintain and clean the park numbers no more than one to three personnel at best. There is however a further restructuring in the pipeline to restore the park to the supervision of Region 9 of the Parks Department. This will hopefully lead to better maintenance of the park.
The park has become the home of many vagrants who use the various structures for shelter. These vagrants, who have either been neglected by the municipality or have chosen a life on the road, often participate in criminal acts of petty theft in the adjacent areas.
There is a clear need for regular private security patrols to complement SAPS and Metro policing as well as ongoing grounds maintenance in the park.
Councillors Tim Brauteseth and Jean Lindsay are actively involved in Lahee Park and arrange monthly meetings with all the stakeholders.
Brauteseth and Lindsay are formulating plans to host an annual fundraiser for the park along the lines of the Oddball Olympics that used to be a regular feature on the Pinetown Social calendar.
“The Pinetown Cricket Club have made their grounds available for the event and hopefully we can get buy in from the business and private community of Pinetown to raise funds to cover private security patrols and grounds maintenance” said Cllr Brauteseth
Councillor Brauteseth is working towards holding this event around the end of March 2012. Details of this event will be advertised nearer to the time but the community of Pinetown need to get involved and take back ownership of this beautiful park so that it can be enjoyed by all in a safer environment.

Photo L to R: Mr Ken Goldstone (Pinetown Sub-Forum CPF Chairman), Bernard Borsboom (Neighbourhood Watch 3) Sgt. Yoga Govender (Pinetown SAPS), Nikki Mohlmann (Kloof CPF), Lorraine Bell (NW2), Diana and Paul Scher, Cordy Baker (Pinetown Sub-Forum CPF), Ron Macrae (NW3)

On 07 October 2011, the SAPS Pinetown Cluster office in conjunction with Open Door Crisis Centre launched the training of volunteers for the victim support programme. These volunteers have been identified by the Dept of Community Safety & Liaison. The volunteers will undergo a eight week training program provided by the Open Door Crisis centre. On completion of training these volunteers will be deployed in Inchanga, Hammarsdale, Kwadabeka, Pinetown, Umsunduzi  and Westville. Representatives from the SAPS, Open Door Crisis Centre, Department of Community Safety and Liaison and Department of Justice were in attendance. The plan was  also to form a network of service providers to ensure that victims are given the rights they deserve in terms of the Victim Empowerment Charter.  The Pinetown Cluster together with Open Door Crisis Centre also have embarked on a project to establish three trauma centres in Umsunduzi, Hammarsdale and Inchanga.  Mrs Thora Mansfield, Director of the Open Door Crisis Centre mentioned that these centres will help all victims in need of support, and HIV testing will be done free of charge.

OPEN DOOR CRISIS CENTRE

7 Windsor Road, Pinetown
Tel: 031 709 2679
Fax 031 709 2468
Email: thora@opendoor.org.za
Website: opendoor.org.za

Photo: Front Row L to R:
Capt Govender, Pinetown Cluster,
Mr Ndawonde, Mrs Ndlovu both Community Safety and Liaison,
Mrs Sookdev, Pinetown NPA, Capt P Moodley, Ptn Saps, Capt Ndlovu Ptn Cluster FCS, Thora Mansfield, Open Door Crisis Centre, W/O Dlamini, Umsunduzi SAPS, Val Dafel, Provincial NPA.
Back row L to R: Lt Col Dlamini, SAPS Inchanga, Lt Col Sikhosana, SAPS Westville, Capt Bhengu, Ptn Cluster.