Dear Fellow Observants, I am writing this in response to numerous concerned posts regarding our safety and security in Observatory.
I have recently taken over as Deputy Chair of ONW and I am now acting as Chair while Chris Wiehe is overseas for a few months. Since ONW was reinstated earlier this year, we have seen especially encouraging results with the crime situation on Lower Main Road but also throughout Observatory. Last week at our monthly meeting, our SAPS Sector Manager reported that in recent months there had been an overall decrease in reported crime of between 20 to 30% and thanked us for our efforts. He also noted that its is very helpful for us to feed SAPS information as we have been doing. Granted, some types of crime (like armed robbery) have been on the increase of late, but in general in think we are starting to see the benefits of having an active neighborhood watch and a proactive police force working together again. OBSID has a new incoming COO, Hudson McComb, and a new Public Safety Manager, Hannes Bronkhorst. Both of these gentlemen are open to new ideas and are committed to improving our safety and security. There are already some changes a foot: - The OPS control center which was previously stationed in Mowbray and shared with the Groote Schuur Improvement District is to be moving to Station Road and will now be dedicated to serving Observatory only. - OBSID is currently evaluating its existing security contract which is coming up for renewal. This includes the patrollers, horse boxes and camera systems with a view to improving the service and getting us more value for money. We have had some discussions with OBSID around the security contract issue. It was agreed that we would engage our membership to see if there is expertise available within the community to assist in the evaluation process, identify possible improvements and determine best combination of solutions to implement. We will meet with OBSID within the coming weeks to review the existing systems/contracts and to brainstorm new ideas. *This is the opportunity for us to have a say and I would like to call for your assistance with this:* 1. If there is anyone with expertise in camera systems, neighborhood security, security contracts etc that is able to volunteer their time to this process, please email me a short note on how you think you can assist. 2. If you have ideas that you feel strongly for or against, please email me your thoughts so we can raise your point for consideration. I realise that this process is not the immediate action we are all looking for, but I think its an important process to go through if we are to make the right decisions. In the meantime, I can only appeal to you to get involved in any way you can towards helping SAPS and OBSID to help us: - There are ONW meetings each month and all are welcome. - Membership is free and patrolling is purely voluntary. - Even if you can't patrol, just by being vigilant and reporting crimes and/or suspicious behavior through the correct channels has a huge impact. - There are also a range of other ways you can help aside from patrolling: Marketing, PR, Finance, Recruiting etc Thanks and regards, Steve On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 8:37 AM, Bruno Migliorini < migliorini.br...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Everyone, > > Thanks for your valuable input. Here's what I get from the discussions: > - Livelier neighbourhood is great: maybe we can try to creatively think, > based on examples from others, about how to get more people in the streets. > In the meantime, I find patrolling a good idea. However, I work and travel > most of the time and there's only so much time in a day that we can cover > with travelling. Already, our whatsapp group is very lively. > > - OBSID does a good job considering the mean they receive from our > neighbourhoods (calculated based on house values). > > Now... what if we increased their means? I mean horse boxes are nice, they > provide visibility and they work well... By how much would we have to > increase the rates to cover the whole of obs? Basically let OBSID provide > the prevention/visibility and interact with SAPS for the reaction. > > > > > > Le dimanche 21 juin 2015 21:33:10 UTC+2, Stefan a écrit : >> >> Hello Melanie , >> >> it would be interesting how much it would have to increase it in order to >> make OBSID more effective ... perhaps that`s what`s necessary ? >> If I think about how much ADT costs per month without being effective >> like OBSID ... >> >> Stefan >> >> >> On 6/21/15 6:22 PM, Rosemary Robins wrote: >> >> OBSID has always had a clean audit. We are 2 people in our house - costs >> us approx. R1.60 per day each for all the benefits. Our refuse (once a >> week) costs nearly the same amount. I appreciate there are frustrations >> with OBSID but please be realistic. >> >> On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 1:08 PM, bluebellsandroses <bluebell...@gmail.com >> > wrote: >> >>> I agree totally with Bruno. Also, I don't understand why the current >>> levy is apparently not effective to give us more horse carts. What is >>> happening with the current money?! Every single household in ons pays via >>> rates. So how can there not be enough money? >>> Melanie >>> >>> >>> Sent from Samsung Mobile >>> >>> >>> -------- Original message -------- >>> From: Bruno Migliorini >>> Date:21/06/2015 10:17 AM (GMT+02:00) >>> To: ob...@googlegroups.com >>> Subject: Re: [obsnw] Lower Obs (other side of the Railways) very >>> concerned >>> >>> Well then, let's change these ineffective and limiting regulations and >>> let's try to avoid being killed. One of these days, the bullet will come >>> out and it will be too late to react. We pay for security, if we are mugged >>> at gunpoint 2 times per week, sorry but it's a fail. >>> >>> >>> >>> Le dimanche 21 juin 2015 09:54:23 UTC+2, Rose007 a écrit : >>>> >>>> OBSID is bound to adhere to the regulations/laws governing improvement >>>> districts. They do not have the authority to charge whatever levy they >>>> deem suitable and their powers are limited. Infringement of any of the >>>> regulations could have dire consequences. >>>> >>>> On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 9:19 AM, Bruno Migliorini < >>>> migliori...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hi, >>>>> >>>>> Every house in Obs pays the same amount every month for Improvement >>>>> district. Our side of Obs used to be very quiet and somehow reasonable in >>>>> regards with crimes (a few car break ins, mugging the tunnels under the >>>>> rails). In the past 6 months, things have gone wild over here: stolen >>>>> cars, >>>>> armed muggings, house break-ins, etc. Our wives and kids are not safe >>>>> anymore! This week only, two armed robberies occurred 20 meters from my >>>>> house, people got guns pointed at them, nearly same place, twice in a >>>>> week, >>>>> at 6pm! >>>>> >>>>> Since a year, we have hosted the horse box with security during 4 >>>>> weeks. *That is all* in regards with crime prevention in our zone. >>>>> And it worked perfectly well as all went quiet for 4 weeks. >>>>> >>>>> All we get is reactive actions... Wait to face the gun, pray to stay >>>>> alive, but don't worry OBSID will help you fill the paperwork! >>>>> >>>>> I sincerely think OBSID needs to have more power, more patrols, more >>>>> horse boxes, more contribution from the Citizen. In my own case, the past >>>>> six months did cost about 60000 ZAR of stolen goods and windows replaced. >>>>> Hence 10000 ZAR/month!!! I am definitely happy to increase OBSID fee by >>>>> 100 >>>>> or 200 or 500 Rands to avoid that in the future. >>>>> >>>>> Regards, >>>>> >>>>> Bruno >>>>> -- >>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> OPS [Obsid Public Safety] - 24/7 control room >>>>> >>>>> TEL: 021-447-1066 or 072-063-1653 >>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> >>>>> EMERGENCIES: 10111 >>>>> >>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> ONW email: o...@obs.org.za >>>>> WEB: www.obswatch.org.za >>>>> FACEBOOK: facebook.com/obswatch >>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> Other Useful Obs Numbers: obs.org.za/obsdir >>>>> >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups The Observatory Neighbourhood watch group. To post to this group, >>>>> send email to ob...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, >>>>> send email to obsnw+un...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit >>>>> this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/obsnw?hl=en >>>>> --- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood Watch" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>> an email to obsnw+un...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> OPS [Obsid Public Safety] - 24/7 control room >>> >>> TEL: 021-447-1066 or 072-063-1653 >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> EMERGENCIES: 10111 >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> ONW email: o...@obs.org.za >>> WEB: www.obswatch.org.za >>> FACEBOOK: facebook.com/obswatch >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> Other Useful Obs Numbers: obs.org.za/obsdir >>> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups The Observatory Neighbourhood watch group. To post to this group, >>> send email to ob...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, >>> send email to obsnw+un...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit >>> this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/obsnw?hl=en >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood Watch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to obsnw+un...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> -- >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> OPS [Obsid Public Safety] - 24/7 control room >>> >>> TEL: 021-447-1066 or 072-063-1653 >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> EMERGENCIES: 10111 >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> ONW email: o...@obs.org.za >>> WEB: www.obswatch.org.za >>> FACEBOOK: facebook.com/obswatch >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> Other Useful Obs Numbers: obs.org.za/obsdir >>> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups The Observatory Neighbourhood watch group. To post to this group, >>> send email to ob...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, >>> send email to obsnw+un...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit >>> this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/obsnw?hl=en >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood Watch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to obsnw+un...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> >> -- >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> OPS [Obsid Public Safety] - 24/7 control room >> >> TEL: 021-447-1066 or 072-063-1653 >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> EMERGENCIES: 10111 >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> ONW email: o...@obs.org.za >> WEB: www.obswatch.org.za >> FACEBOOK: facebook.com/obswatch >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Other Useful Obs Numbers: obs.org.za/obsdir >> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> The Observatory Neighbourhood watch group. To post to this group, send >> email to ob...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send >> email to obsnw+un...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this >> group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/obsnw?hl=en >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "The Observatory Neighbourhood Watch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to obsnw+un...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> -- > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > OPS [Obsid Public Safety] - 24/7 control room > > TEL: 021-447-1066 or 072-063-1653 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > EMERGENCIES: 10111 > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ONW email: o...@obs.org.za > WEB: www.obswatch.org.za > FACEBOOK: facebook.com/obswatch > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Other Useful Obs Numbers: obs.org.za/obsdir > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > The Observatory Neighbourhood watch group. To post to this group, send > email to obsnw@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send > email to obsnw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this > group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/obsnw?hl=en > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Observatory Neighbourhood Watch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to obsnw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Steve Killick Cell 084 447 5544 email: steve.kill...@gmail.com -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OPS [Obsid Public Safety] - 24/7 control room TEL: 021-447-1066 or 072-063-1653 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EMERGENCIES: 10111 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ONW email: o...@obs.org.za WEB: www.obswatch.org.za FACEBOOK: facebook.com/obswatch ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Useful Obs Numbers: obs.org.za/obsdir You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups The Observatory Neighbourhood watch group. To post to this group, send email to obsnw@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to obsnw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/obsnw?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood Watch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to obsnw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
