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TUESDAY 6 October 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za
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People’s Post
SOLID BUSINESS: Despite the tough trading conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Stanley and Hermonie Rowland – the owners of Heddle Hardware in Maitland – celebrated their company’s 21st anniversary in the building industry this month. Heddle Hardware is a family business run by Stanley, his wife and their children. It was founded on 1 October 1999. On Thursday 1 October, representatives of PPC cement presented Heddle Hardware with a “key to the building industry”, as a celebration of the company's contribution for the past two decades. PHOTO: WANDA LE ROUX
OBSERVATORY
Buzzing in fight on crime KAYLYNNE BANTOM KAYLYNNE.BANTOM@MEDIA24.COM
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n a quest to effectively root out crime, the Observatory Improvement District (Obsid) has turned to Buzzer, a free community safety app, to protect residents. The app was designed to be the fastest way of providing a user with a swift emergency response. In case of an emergency, a user can press the SOS button on the app’s home screen which then geo-pins his or her location. The app was first created in partnership with Hout Bay Community Crime Prevention for the local community (“Buzzer rings in new era of safety”, People’s Post, 17 September 2019). It has since been rolled out in several communities.
Amanda Kirk, Obsid chief executive officer, says the app allows them to immediately dispatch officers once a user sends out an SOS. She adds that the Obsid safety officers have the app on their mobile devices. When they’re on patrol and an SOS comes through, they can immediately head to the specific location. “Buzzer links you directly with the Obsid control room via the app. It’s GPS located, so there’s no need to explain where you are and it’s instant,” she says. According to Kirk, unlike the many community WhatsApp groups, Buzzer takes away the back-and-forth communication. She says they are currently testing the app in the area and encourages people to download it. “Every person on the app is another set of eyes and ears to keep the community safer. Buzzer is for everyone who passes through,
lives, works or plays in Observatory – so feel free to share it with friends, family, childminders and employees of your business,” adds Kirk. She says if residents work with them and the police and other safety structures, it is possible to mitigate crime in the area. She says Obsid safety stats provide them with a clearer picture in terms of their battle against crime. “For the period Saturday 1 to Monday 31 August, there were 67 incidents reported compared to 83 incidents the previous month. The decrease of reported incidents may be attributed to the deployment of our third public safety vehicle, enabling more interruptive patrols in the different sectors,” says Kirk. Lt Col Alroy van der Berg, acting station commander at Woodstock police station, says regular integrated operations with Ob-
sid, neighbourhood watch members and law enforcement are yielding good results. According to Van der Berg, for the month of September robberies decreased by 50% while property-related incidences such as burglaries saw a 55% decrease. However, he says taxi-related robberies remain a big concern. “We are increasingly receiving reports of passengers being robbed in a taxi. The taxiguard and driver are often in cahoots,” says Van der Berg. He warns passengers not to get into empty taxis or to sit too far back. He encourages passengers to hide their valuables. Van der Berg thanked all role players for their dedication in making the community safer. V To download the app on the Apple store visit https:// apple.co/3cYogNb or on Google Play https:// bit.ly/2zpDfkR.
Night shelter ‘restores residents’ dignity’ on Heritage Day KAYLYNNE BANTOM Celebrating culture and heritage with vulnerable residents. This was the focus on Thursday 24 September when 60 residents from The Haven Night Shelter in Kensington were treated to a special meal to commemorate Heritage Day. Denise Damon, the facility manager at the shelter for the homeless, says the event was organised to allow residents to share their cultures and diversity with one another during a group session. Damon says, after the session, residents were treated to a wholesome spitbraai meal. “Our clients come from various backgrounds and cultures, and this was an opportunity for them to interact with one another and learn more about their peers,” she adds. Kevin Alexander, a fieldwork coordinator for Project HOPE, a community-based
organisation that aims to reunite homeless people with their families, says the organisation has partnered with the shelter to help alleviate homelessness. Alexander says events such as these make vulnerable people feel that they are still part of society and “help restore their dignity and rebuild their lives”. Damon thanked the various donors who came on board to make the event possible. She adds that since the start of lockdown, the shelter was unable to host its annual fundraising events, making things difficult financially. Damon explains that the shelter has been targeted by opportunistic criminals three times during the lockdown period, the most recent being in August. “We’ve had burglars jumping the fence, stealing all the outside lights on the building.” She appeals to community members to help safeguard the shelter.
Residents at The Haven in Kensington were treated to a “spitbraai” on Heritage Day.