This month I felt it only right to spotlight in an organisation, rather than a person, that ensures that all of us here in Hoedspruit are looked after and live in safety. I was very privileged to be able to secure an interview with Thierry Boulanger, Chairperson of Town Watch in Hoedspruit.

  Thierry was born in the Congo and brought up in South Africa. He and his wife have finally found themselves retired and living in Hoedspruit. This after having had an innings at the coast near Kenton-on-sea in the eastern Cape. It was here that Thierry got involved in security, and an organised neighbourhood watch. He stresses ‘organised’, because “it is not a matter of just setting up CCTV cameras, but it’s a matter of becoming the ears and eyes of the police (and the other authorities) whilst helping them ensure the safety of the community”, he said.

  It has always been the intent that the Town Watch had to be a community project with involvement from the community. “We want Hoedspruit to be the safest town to live in, and we want our properties to appreciate, whether a house or business. The only way that will be achieved is if we have a safe town,” said Thierry.

  We have a very close collaboration (we do not overlap) with Farm Watch – our responsibility is the town itself. We observe and report, and with our collaboration of our partners around town like Farm Watch and others, if we see that we need a reaction, we will then call upon those partners to action accordingly.

  Very recently we have concluded an agreement with all the major security companies in Hoedspruit who work with us on a pro bono basis. So, our relationship with our partners around town is very strong and as a result is very fruitful in terms of what we do, and how we do it, and the successes achieved.

  The network of cameras that we have in the town are monitored 24 hours a day, of which a certain amount is done by the community. Anything that is monitored has a response procedure to accommodate the required reaction. This is exciting because not only do we have the tools, but we have the back-end reaction that is so important in a successful community operation like this.

  All work done for Town Watch is on a voluntary basis, and even when people consider themselves too old to contribute, there are places, for example monitoring CCTV cameras, where all and sundry can be put to work. There is no need to come into a control room, if you have a computer, you can monitor the CCTV cameras from the comfort of your own home. Many of the older generation are now part of the Town Watch. Even some of the foreigners that have residences in town have put up their hands to help monitor cameras. The result is that we now have people monitoring from New York and Amsterdam, that actively monitor cameras! Younger volunteers also drive patrols around town which is an important part of having a physical presence in town.

  Town Watch has now launched a ‘radio programme’ designed specifically for the residents of Hoedspruit, where they can purchase a radio which mitigates the effect of loadshedding. The radio is programmed onto the Farm Watch emergency channel. This would be used in emergencies only, or to report suspicious activity. The radios cover an area of up to 20 km from Hoedspruit.

  Part of the ethos of Town Watch is to look at the small infringements in town, based on the world-renowned success achieved in New York. The then Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, ran a very successful crime fighting campaign, and he said that if crime is to be stamped out, you must first concentrate on the little things that are happening in the town, because those little things eventually grow into big things.

  “We have adopted a similar view. We cannot let people get away with the little things – that’s where we start our work. So, it is critical that we fret the small stuff as well,” stated Thierry.

  Thierry could not talk about Town Watch’s successes too much (for obvious security reasons) suffice to say that with the camera network and patrols, Town Watch have apprehended or brought to book, many instances of ‘misbehaviour’, and with the absolute cooperation of the authorities, evidence with visual proof (through the cameras), they have managed to close numerous cases on these matters with great effect.

  Town Watch has also been a strong driver of speed bumps because they see what is happening on the roads. Month end is ‘road anarchy’! Basically, if the traffic situation can be brought under full control, then as a community we would have gone a huge way into making the town even safer.

  When the building of the interchange, the mall, and hospital get started, Town Watch and the community must be ready for the influx of thousands of workers. This will affect us all in Hoedspruit, and together with Town Watch and the other partners, we must be cognisant of the need for more vigilance.

  Part of the ethos of Town Watch is to ensure that their statutory documentation is very important and in order. Their codes of conduct, asset registers, memorandums of understanding with organisations in and around town, their constitution – all of that must be in place. As a resident, one can walk in anytime to view these books, and Town Watch must be able to be transparent and effective.

  They are pedantic about their general code of conduct if you join Town Watch. This dictates exactly how you behave and your physical appearance. That discipline is non-negotiable. Before every patrol one must log in with SAPS and get an authorisation number. This non-negotiable discipline is critical in making the organisation successful. Town Watch meet with SAPS once a month to share information, and they find that SAPS does a lot, and as such they work very closely with each other. The negative noise about SAPS not doing much is a factor of limited manpower and prioritisation of incidents – they have to manage their response very carefully with the restraints that they have. There is also good cooperation from Maruleng Traffic, and Maruleng themselves, including the mayor.

  Town Watch are very proud of the fact that all participants are volunteers, using their own time, financing themselves in whatever aspect of the Town Watch web they participate. One can feel the enthusiasm and at the end of the day they, the volunteers, have the satisfaction that they are doing something for their community. “We do want the whole community to be vigilant, so that if there is anything that they consider untoward, that there is an open channel to report it, with the reassurance of knowing that something will be done about it”, says Thierry.

  Joining Town Watch costs R50 per month – and this allows one to be on the WhatsApp group, and you need not participate any further. If you want to contribute to Town Watch (Patrol or camera monitoring) you do not have to pay your annual fee (but you can if you want). If you want to be a participant in the radio network, you need to be a member of either Town Watch or Farm Watch and you will have access to the channels – you still have to purchase the radio. This will allow you access to the emergency services that they offer (they do NOT replace SAPS) – the service is there to cover the lack of connectivity that may happen from time to time, and of course to report.

  Contact Helen Cary who will send you an application form for Town Watch, pay up and you will be put on the groups. If you want any operational involvement, this will be preceded by training before going operational.

  The radios are obtainable (fully programmed) from Geraldine at Vector Fencing and Communication, in Hoedspruit for R 3 152.00 all inclusive. Any radios that are lost, stolen, or abused can and will be disabled remotely.

  Many estates already pay a membership fee to Farm Watch on behalf of their residents, so no additional membership fee is necessary, and this does entitle a resident on those estates to obtain a radio (at their cost).

  “We would love to become the model for other towns to follow”, say Thierry. If one looks at the progress and successes that have been achieved, I will say that we are well on the way to achieving that goal.

Helen Cary – Town Watch – 083 336 0577

Geraldine – Vector Fencing and Communication – 071 893 9366