A big welcome to all new residents in Capri, please let us know if you would like to help out with a once-monthly patrol for Capri by filling in this form.

Reporting crime

We unfortunately no longer receive crime reports from SAPS, but we continue to have a representative from Capri Neighbourhood Watch at the weekly joint SAPS/NHW meetings. Huge thanks go to Trevor Cohen who tirelessly attends these weekly meetings at Fish Hoek Police Station on behalf of the Capri community.

Thus, the only way we can remain aware of what crime is happening in Capri and our valley, is if we all report any incidents and share the details with our neighbouring watches. This helps us understand where the hotspots are and what crimes are being perpetrated. Without this information, it is incredibly hard to proactively combat crime.

To assist in crime reporting we have a form on our website for this at this link.

1. Step One: Report all crime to SAPS
2. Step Two: Report all crime to CNHW

Our Fidelity ADT dedicated patrol vehicle has also been successful in preventing crime, so please make sure you have this number saved to your phone: 073 839 9623 and use it in an emergency. We also have street WhatsApp groups, if you are not part of your group, please send your name, address and number to info@capriwatch.co.za and we’ll add you.

Namola
In the last few months an app called Namola (supported by dialdirect) has been gaining traction as a useful tool for communities and individuals. We have been trialling the app for the past few months and it works rather well. To make use of the app, look for Namola on your app store, then download and install it on your phone. The app has many useful features, the key one being that in an emergency you can simply tap on the app and request emergency assistance.

Ideally your order of calls should be to SAPS, your armed response company and then neighbourhood watch, but if in a panic or under pressure, Namola should be a good option. In addition, while Capri Neighbourhood Watch is set up as a Watch with Namola and can assist within the Capri area, the app works based on your location and will try and get the most appropriate and closest assistance to you, no matter your location.

Within Capri, our ADT held 24/7 Capri NHW number is loaded on the app too as a responder, so is visible to both the ADT Control hub as well as the Capri NHW Namola Watch portal. Please do not test an emergency in the app, it does work and requesting emergency assistance will result in a response and a controller calling you. We will also send out a link to the app on the CNHW street WhatsApp groups.

Thank you to our patrollers – Market Day
Our next Capri Community Market Day will be this Sunday, 9th June from 9h00 to 13h00 and we’re inviting all our patrollers to come down to the park and grab a free “patroller appreciation” boerie roll. Anyone else interested in becoming a patroller, or finding out more about what we have planned, please pop down for a chat too. Please also support the Market which raises funds for community related projects.

Bin Day Problems
A reminder to residents to please only put their bins out on a Monday morning and not Sunday nights, as this invites unwanted foot traffic into Capri and results in increased crime incidents.

In addition, last week we had an issue where our dedicated ADT team responded to two individuals leaving the area with two PC monitors following a report from a resident. Upon investigation and follow up, it was confirmed by a resident that they had put them out with the trash. Please can we urge that you refrain from this – it potentially places the whole community at risk, while making it tough to spot genuine crimes. If you have electrical appliances, office chairs, toys etc – these can be taken to the dump down the road at no cost instead of being left next to your bin.

An alternative is to get hold of Alan Lester (079 678 8524) who lives in our area. He collects e-waste for free for up-cycling. This service includes any electronic/computer equipment or any electrical item you would like to dispose of, even if its broken. This would include anything from toasters to old TVs, computers and even old sewing machines etc.

Camera update and Fundraising
We have, and are, in the process of implementing new cameras utilizing the latest in thermal imaging, software analytics with offsite monitoring.

Of note, since implementing the new cameras at the top of Las Palmas looking into the greenbelts our incidence rates in the surrounds has dropped to zero over the last 6 months. Long may this continue! Previously this zone was a focus area for criminal activity and incursion into Capri. The mere presence of the cameras acts as a useful deterrent. However, with the addition of software analytics which identify specific human presence and automates alerts via offsite monitoring partners Verifier, we are able to proactively deploy ADT and NHW resources to intervene. Forewarned is forearmed.

We will be rolling out more of these high tech camera solutions around Capri in the coming months. Our aim is to augment our existing Patroller ‘eyes and ears’ and ADT ‘boots on the ground’ activities and effectively ring- fence Capri with a proactive camera system which can alert us to unwanted incursions into the neighborhood, particularly at night.

We are only able to successfully roll out these cameras by embracing commercial and community partnerships. On the commercial front we are currently working with Wibernet who provide fibre internet networking solutions throughout the Valley. We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to Wibernet in this respect. They have been very proactive and fantastic in providing our community with consulting, installation, ongoing maintenance and free fibre internet access.
When we install the cameras we typically rely on the help and cooperation of one of our fellow Caprians, who acts as a host for our camera infrastructure. Wibernet have also generously provided our hosts with free fibre access also, as an additional ongoing participatory incentive.

On the community level- guys, your community needs you, we need funding! Capri’s crime rates have statistically decreased in recent months. This does not mean that crime has gone away though. It’s likely to move elsewhere, particularly when Capri becomes perceived as high risk to criminals. Crime only reduces because we have things such as a dedicated ADT vehicle, our Patrollers and with community programmes such as the cameras. We still have to fund the camera infrastructure and monitoring services, but it is far cheaper and faster to implement than say physical fencing. If crime drops from everyone’s immediate attention- understand that it is because of the cameras. The more we implement, the bigger impact it has on reducing crime, but, the less it occupies in the forefront of people’s minds. Bit of a double edged sword!  We are also in a sort of arms race- if our neighboring communities like Sunvalley, Kommetjie etc., get ahead of us, then the criminals will re-direct activities to the lowest risk environment to ply their trade. Therefore, all donations welcome. If you are not able to contribute to patrolling for whatever reason, then please consider make a positive contribution to your community with a small donation to the cameras fund, be this one off or ongoing, everything helps.

Please see our website for donation details or deposit straight to the bank account via EFT. Details below.

CNHW Banking Details

Bank: ABSA Longbeach Mall
Account name: Capri Neighbourhood Watch
Account number: 9240591129
Electronic banking code: 632005

ReferenceGeneral

Kind regards
The Capri Neighbourhood Watch team