HPP Newsletter - January 2024
Supplementing Municipal Services for a Safe, Clean and Healthy HSRA
Dear Hermanus Special Ratings Area (HSRA) Property Owner,
The HPP Board Members and I wish you and your loved ones a safe, healthy and happy 2024!
During December and January
- HPP successfully implemented its festive season operational plan.
- The HPP Board members agreed to a Code of Conduct.
- The HSRA Term Extension Project was launched.
- The Kwaaiwater Camera Project developed further.
- A column in the Business Day applauded “citizen collaboration” in Hermanus.
Festive Season
Similar to previous years, HPP provided an enhanced service during the festive season in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies. From December 15 to January 15, HPP extended its services to enhance public safety. Nine HPP foot patrol officers covered the Cliff Path daily from 05:30 to 20:00, while four night guards conducted overnight patrols in the CBD every day. Additionally, bike patrols operated on bin collection days to manage bin pickers in suburban areas.
We are delighted to announce that there was an unusually low number of reported criminal incidents in the HSRA during the festive season. However, HPP’s crime prevention efforts were notably higher than usual. We attribute the lower crime rate, in part, to the prompt reporting of public disorder or suspicious behaviour by members of the public, neighbourhood watch groups, HPP camera operators, and patrollers. We express our gratitude to these individuals who assisted public safety organisations in preventing potential crimes.
Furthermore, both HPP and law enforcement agencies ensured a high level of visibility across the HSRA during the festive period, which likely contributed to the reduction in crime. We extend special thanks to the community for promptly reporting incidents, enhancing overall public safety. Please keep on doing so. HPP’s Emergency Number is 087 550 5295.
On the cleansing side of HPP’s operations and in addition to our normal services, several requests were attended to. Amongst these were:
- Cleaning in the Fick’s Pool area where vagrants set up camp in the bushes off the path.
- The removal of refuse in the area in front of the benches close to Swallow Park. (It seemed that some vegetation was cleared, which exposed smaller pieces of refuse.)
- The removal of liquor bottles from the benches and path close to Swallow Park.
Code of Conduct
A code of conduct, also called a statement of values or code of ethics, is a policy that outlines the principles and standards that participants in a specific entity have agreed to follow.
Non-profit organisations’ boards of directors are being highly scrutinised in the same vein as for-profit corporations and often to the same degree of accountability. With so many important decisions to make, the HPP Board considers it essential to comply to the Companies Act 71 of 2008, as well as to have an agreed code of conduct and governance in place.
The Board of Directors and the Executive Officer have agreed to a code of conduct which reflects HPP’s mission and values and connects us to professional behaviour standards. The values we aspire to are those of excellence, integrity, honesty, transparency, equity, and confidentiality.
The Code of Conduct can be found on the HPP website under the tab titled “Archive – HPP Company Documents.” https://hpp.org.za/company-documents/
A Whistleblower Policy will be signed off at the next HPP Board meeting.
I thank Board member Peter Doble for drafting both the above policies.
HSRA Term Extension Project has been launched
The HSRA has a mandate life of five years that will terminate in July 2025, unless the mandate is extended for a further period in compliance with the applicable municipal acts. A project to seek an extension of the HSRA mandate for a further five-year period, was launched on 22 January 2024. Board member Rod MacLeod has taken responsibility for the planning and coordination of the project and will be supported by all Board members and the Executive Officer.
The HPP board is currently considering several possible City Improvement District (CID) models and is consulting experts in this field. As you know, our current focus is to offer supplementary services to those of the Overstrand Municipality to ensure a safe, clean and healthy environment in the HSRA. It is evident that CID initiatives across the world and in South Africa now include other services such as:
- Social development (to address vagrancy and homelessness)
- Parking management and car guards
- Infrastructure maintenance (repairs to damaged pavement surfaces, minor potholes, signage, and road-marking painting and streetlight outages.)
Safety and cleansing however remain their core focus.
The current project timeline is:
The views of HSRA property owners regarding this initiative, will be sought via a perception survey and public meetings. In the meantime, please let me know what your views are.
Kwaaiwater Camera Project
Over the recent years, Kwaaiwater neighbouring suburbs including Fernkloof, Eastcliff, Voëlklip, Fernkloof Golf Estate, and Fernkloof Village have adopted varying levels of CCTV surveillance infrastructure.
This implementation has yielded positive results, a decrease in crime incidents, swifter pro-active responses to suspicious activities, and prompt support facilitated by the surveillance systems during actual incidents.
The residents of Kwaaiwater have taken significant steps to implement the integration of CCTV surveillance in their area. In collaboration with the Kwaaiwater Camera Project Committee and HPP, five strategic sites have been identified to cover the boundaries and hotspots of the Kwaaiwater suburb.
All installations will be compatible with HPP CCTV network, and the HPP control centre will also provide monitoring and response 24/7.
Generous donations have already been received, enabling the installation of initial backhaul and operational room equipment. The first camera site at Kraal Rock is scheduled for implementation in mid-February. If you are a resident of the Kwaaiwater area and wish to find out more, please contact the HPP EO at info@hpp.org.za.
Business Day Column
The heading of Jonathan Cook’s column in the Business Day, dated 9 January, was titled “Impressive citizen collaboration improves all our lives.” The author evidently visited Hermanus during the Festive Season and the (unsolicited) article applauds the extent to which he enjoyed the safety of our town’s environment. (We have since written to Jonathan Cook and made him aware that we supplement the services of the Overstrand Municipality and not the Overstrand District Municipality, as he incorrectly stated.)
Good News Story
On January 7th at 10:40 am, HPP responded to a gunshot report in the Industrial area. CCTV spotted two FADT vehicles with armed officers on the scene. HPP, along with SAPS, Law Enforcement, and other security providers, arrived to discover an active armed robbery.
FADT officers fired shots, and the suspects fled, prompting a building search. One suspect was found hiding, with a 9mm firearm, cash, and phones. The second suspect, despite an extensive search, was only later found in a nearby bushy area with a firearm. Both suspects were arrested and face charges of business armed robbery.
We appreciate the collaborative efforts between HPP, Fidelity-ADT, Hermanus Neighbourhood Watch, Alfa Neighbourhood Watch, CU Live, SAFE Security, Overstrand Law Enforcement, and SAPS. The altruistic commitment of everyone involved guarantees the well-being of the community and adds to the overall splendour of our town.
As always, we urge you to be vigilant and aware.
Jerry van Niekerk
HPP Chair
E-Mail: chairperson@hpp.org.za
Website: https://hpp.org.za