- Observatory Improvement District (OBSID) reports a drop in crime due to 24-hour visible patrolling by safety officers.
- CEO Matt Tyrrell credits the improved public safety to continuous patrolling and increased community involvement
- 31 arrests and 775 proactive actions were made in the last quarter
There’s been a drop in crime in the Observatory area thanks to 24-hour visible patrolling by Observatory Improvement District’s (Obsid) safety officers. So says Matt Tyrrell, Obsid’s chief executive officer.
These were some of the highlights on the agenda at the Obsid’s annual general meeting held late last month.
Justin Ashley, Obsid chair, said in the last quarter Obsid assisted police and law enforcement with 31 arrests and 775 proactive actions from notifying residents about open gates to vehicle lights left on.
These arrests range from petty theft and trespassing to common robberies.
“We are extremely proud of the public safety team who have clearly been making a significant difference to the lives of residents and visitors to Observatory.”
According to Tyrrell, Obsid spends 50% of its annual budget on public safety, with four vehicles patrolling the streets of Observatory alongside foot patrollers in the retail area of Lower Main Road.
He says Obsid also recently introduced new channels of communication with residents allowing important messages to get to members efficiently.
“We ask everyone who is a victim of a crime to report the crime to the police and file a charge. We sometimes experience that we are willing to forgive our economically challenged population as we help recover stolen items, which can lead to supporting poor decisions that some people make.”
Tyrrell says residents can play their part and safeguard themselves against criminals.
“Leaving objects in plain sight, leaving street-facing windows open, running to a shop, and not locking their cars are golden opportunities for (thieves).”
Homelessness
Tyrrell says the social development team in partnership with the City of Cape Town has been assisting people living on the street.
“Informal settlements may highlight the need for social housing, but they can provide a place for criminality to hide and live undetected. Working with the City of Cape Town, we have successfully reduced the number of camps in Observatory, helping to displace criminals and creating better opportunities to work with people ready to move off the streets.”
Cameras
To safeguard the area and to stay ahead of emerging crime trends, Obsid will install several cameras in and around the business district of Lower Main, Station and Trill roads in the coming months.
According to Tyrrell, the business district sees the highest pedestrian foot traffic and includes the car parks of Observatory.
He explains that the footage will only be used to dispatch Obsid resources or to assist law enforcement with evidence for criminal cases.
Tyrrell said he hopes that the new cameras will not only help to further reduce crime but also ensure that residents and visitors feel safe in the area.
“Our mandate is to ‘Make Spaces For People’. With these cameras, we hope to ensure that our public spaces of Observatory are welcoming and safe for all those who enjoy living and visiting Observatory now and into the future.”
According to Tyrrell, petty theft continues to account for the largest portion of the crime statistics. “Recently, we experienced drive-by theft in our higher pedestrian areas, when individuals sit and wait in a car and rob a victim of a cellphone, wallet or bag only to escape via the network of roads in the area.
“With the introduction of CCTV in the pedestrian zones, we expect to deter this crime and reduce our response times.”
Obsid also announced significant success in the reduction of illegal dumping and litter on the streets as well as the achievements of their social support team’s work supporting vulnerable residents.
“We are proud to serve our community in a way that helps to further reduce crime and ensures that residents and visitors feel safe in Observatory,” he concluded.
Woodstock Police Station did not respond to queries at the time of going to print.
