Following several recent community site visits, a local security company reaffirmed the importance of a hands on approach to fighting crime.
Fidelity ADT has been operating in KwaZulu-Natal for a number of years with several branches located across the province including Pietermaritzburg, South Coast, Durban and Richards Bay.
An integral part of the company’s success has been the hands on approach from managers like Vaughan Pillay, the district manager for KwaZulu-Natal. Pillay says that their culture is to proactively work towards safer communities by getting involved with the people and officers on the ground. “Our philosophy and approach is to handle crime in each area and suburb independently. This is brought right down to street level where we determine what relevant actions should be taken to ensure the safest possible environment for residents. The management team at Fidelity ADT conduct regular site visits to ensure that all is in order and each area has dedicated supervisors who manage the quality of services on a daily basis,” he says.
Another initiative which illustrates the efficacy of a hands on approach is the Durban-based Community Control Room (CCR), launched by Fidelity ADT a few years ago. 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. The CCR is linked to over 200 community crime prevention WhatsApp groups and has dedicated operators working on a 24 hour / 7 days a week basis,” Pillay added.
In addition, the Community Development Management (CDM) department with community security specialists, work closely with members of the public. This includes regular community meetings as well as hands on analysis of crime in specific areas and how to best address their safety concerns.
“Our CDM department is a great example of our hands on approach as the team regularly engage with our communities. This includes implementing smart security solutions such as CCTV or Licence Plate Recognition cameras as well as foot patrol security solutions. They also engage with the SAPS on a regular basis to share information and best practices,” concludes Pillay.
