According to a report from Emperors Palace, crime rate in neighbouring areas has dropped by 67 per cent since the introduction of the projects.
The Winnie Mandela Community Project in Tembisa is one of the first fighting initiatives that was developed by Emperors Palace, in association with the Community Monitoring Services (CMS) and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The project was initiated in July 2007, and sorted issues like the lack of street names by developing detailed maps with landmarks of cellphone booths, large buildings and local businesses to navigate through an area when patrolling the streets.
The Winnie Mandela Park in Tembisa was separated into 250 blocks, with a resident of each block consigned to a “block captain” role.
Each block captain manages all patrols within the boundary of their area and reports suspicious activity to the SAPS and the CMS control room based at Emperors Palace.
“We are proud to be working with the SAPS and the CMS on these incredibly important projects that not only gives local communities hope but also empowers and uplifts community members,” says Peermont Chief corporate affairs executive, Vusi Zwane, who was one of eight guest speakers at the event.
The Jet Park Business Precinct Project (JPBP) is another crime fighting initiative which was also developed in 2007 by Emperors Palace and the CMS.
The JPBP was created to heighten security in areas around the OR Tambo International Airport.
An estimated 280 businesses in the Jet Park area are now also involved in the project with JPBP sending regular updates to businesses warning them of suspicious behaviour when necessary.
The success of the JPBP has lead to an extension of the services into the Isando area.
In addition, Emperors Palace and the East Rand Business Precinct (ERBP) established an offsite closed-circuit television (CCTV) crime prevention room in 2010, to monitor and respond to criminal activity on the Jones and Griffith Road off ramps.
Eight cameras that are monitored by the ERBP have been installed to curb “smash and grab” incidents and other crimes.
A total of 750 patrollers who volunteered to help prevent crime in their respective communities were thanked and received Christmas hampers for their dedication.
