Crime in St Francis

The St Francis crime rate is low, mostly petty and almost all non-violent .

Through my own observations and after talking to some of the best informed residents, it is clear that the crime rate in St Francis Bay (including Cape St Francis) is relatively low compared to many (probably most) towns and cities in South Africa.

Much of the crime is petty and almost all is non-violent.

The crime rate has trended downwards over the last few years, particularly for residential burglaries, which are our major concern.

Obviously residents must take all reasonable precautions to keep themselves safe, and to keep the crime rate low, and aim to lower it further.

The use of outside beams and community cameras are two examples of options with proven success.

Community cameras were installed with great success in the Village and Canals a few years ago, and the plan is to extend them into Santareme. Here is some information about the operation of these cameras:

“Atlas Security, Calibre Security and Intersec operate the CCTV service in St Francis Bay, all under contract to the SFPO NPC, who represent 1 590 levy-paying property owners.

As a local company, Calibre have the ability to see exactly what Atlas sees, assisting them in making informed decisions. Calibre Security is a local business that lives the life of our local people, and them being backed by the world-class control room infrastructure and manpower (over 90 Control Room staff members) of Atlas Security has proved to be a force that has seen incredible success from the very beginning of the project.

Live (human) monitoring vs Live Analytical Monitoring (Event-based monitoring)
Technology has changed the dynamics of proactive monitoring in recent years. The reliable source of Live Monitoring back then was having a person stare at a screen for a prolonged period of time, as that was the only option. This method was unreliable, as research has proved that a human watching a screen can only monitor a maximum of 4 screens for a maximum of roughly 12 minutes, after which fatigue sets in.

Analytical Cameras (often referred to as event-based monitoring) uses software that has the ability to analyse multiple video feeds within moments, identify a threat (based on the parameters set) and alert the operator to the threat, almost as fast as a simple blink of an eye.

The process we follow with event-based monitoring is:
– When an analytical trigger/event occurs on or by the camera – when the camera detects human movement for example – a live feed from the camera is automatically populated on the screens within our control centre.
– The operator reviews what is transpiring on the screen and has the ability to identify the cause of the trigger.
– Where the operator identifies a threat as the cause for the trigger, they immediately inform Calibre Security (who also have the ability to review the same footage) and dispatch their Response to the scene, while providing them with all the information they will need in order to deal with the situation effectively on their arrival.
– Where the operator identifies that the cause of the trigger was non-threatening (in line with the policies and procedures written), the operator will close the feed.

Distribution of Footage
Atlas Security is the only entity with the ability to download and share the CCTV footage, due to various legal parameters, one of which is the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act.

Notwithstanding, we remind the community that, when a criminal act occurs, video footage forms part of the chain of evidence into the investigation and prosecution of such an event. In order to ensure we do not jeopardize the possibility of a conviction, any video footage is only handed to the investigating officer of the SAPS on receipt of the necessary documentation.

With that being said, the CCTV Infrastructure is for the community as a whole. This means that should anyone be the victim of a crime, we will make the footage available to the investigating officer once a case is opened, as this process is a legal requirement.”