Dear Residents
CLAREMONT COMMUNITY POLICE FORUM (‘’CCPF’’)
- The monthly Sector 1 and 4 Sub Forum meeting of the CCPF was held on Wednesday, 10 February 2016. The following was noted:
- SAPS reported a substantial decrease in both contact crimes and house breaking for the months of December and January compared to those of the previous years.
- The reduction in crime has partly been attributed to the successes of private security companies and Harlyn Neighbourhood Watch.
- The stand-in Chairperson thanked the Friends of Harfield Parks for the work they have and are continuing to do to improve the gardens at the police station.
- HVCID was thanked for our assistance in helping to find a new treasurer for the CCPF
GARDENING FOR YOUR SECURITY
Your garden should or could be your first line of defence against burglars! Follow these tips when gardening for your security:
- Install a strong lockable gate, preferable smooth, solid wood as it is harder to climb. The gate should be the same height as your fence or wall and fitted with good locks which cannot be reached from over your gate.
- Hedges around your perimeter should be cut low so that you can easily see your boundary.
- Cut back large over-hanging trees over your walls or fence. These can be used as effective ladders by burglars.
- Make sure your garden is well lit, especially in the dense areas preferably with solar lighting which will be cost effective as well.
- Do not let your garden get over-grown as this provides hiding spaces for burglars.
- Lock away garden tools and braais. These could be stolen or worse used to gain access to your home.
- Fix trellis to the top of walls or fences. As well as looking pretty, it’s tricky to climb and makes a lot of noise if broken.
- Get prickly plants for your verges or perimeter of your garden for a natural looking burglar deterrent.
- Gravel paths are noisy and can be off putting to burglars
- Ensure that you use suitable outdoor alarm technology to ensure you do not continuously have false alarms.
