The Durban based Community Control Room (CCR), launched by Fidelity ADT a few years ago, has recently been refurbished. The CCR provides a central communication platform that has successfully enhanced the effectiveness of information sharing for various Neighbourhood Watches (NHW) and Community Policing Forums (CPF).
“The key function of the CCR is to facilitate communication between the neighbourhood watches during incidents or operations to decrease criminal activity. It is an absolute privilege for Fidelity ADT to be a key part of this initiative to further assist these key role players in their fight against crime,” says Fidelity ADT’s District Manager for KwaZulu-Natal, Vaughan Pillay.
The direct radio contact between active neighbourhood watch patrollers, S.A.P.S, Emergency Services and Security Services on a sponsored dedicated line makes it accessible for both the patrollers and residents to phone and lodge a query or report any suspicious activity in their area. The CCR is hosted and staffed by Fidelity ADT and sits within their Durban offices, where they not only have radio contact with role players but also have a dedicated landline number and WhatsApp platform by which to communicate.
“The CCR is linked to over 200 community crime prevention WhatsApp groups and we have dedicated operators working on a 24 hour / 7 days a week basis. In addition, Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) and CCTV cameras are linked to the control room and suspicious vehicles or activity can immediately be flagged and armed response dispatched,” explains Pillay.
The CCR has shown tremendous growth over the past few years through assisting various community crime prevention entities within Durban as well as other parts of KwaZulu-Natal such as Richards Bay. The WhatsApp platform in particular has served as a great crime prevention tool allowing stakeholders to report all crime related issues, accessible to all communities looking for assistance.
“The CCR has played an instrumental role in the fight against crime through information sharing, dispatching armed response vehicles and emergency medical response personnel to alerts from the community, responding to WhatsApp groups and assisting NHW and CPF’s,” adds Pillay.
The CCR is stationed next to the Durban based Fidelity ADT control room, which boasts of the latest technologies and infrastructure to adequately assist customers in the KwaZulu-Natal footprint. These sections collaborate with the aim of providing the best possible service not only to customers, but to the greater community.
For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Fidelity ADT’s District Community Development Manager, Sean Kennedy on seank@fidelity-services.com.
