Crime is rife in South Africa. Many people worry about neighbourhood crimes that could directly affect them. Housebreaking and hijacking have become commonplace. Now is the time to take your safety into your own hands. Worrying about it isn’t going to deter criminals.

One way to create a safer home and community environment is by joining the neighbourhood watch in your area. Research has revealed that neighbourhoods with close community connections seem to be safer places to live. It is in these communities where members pull together and take care of one another. Crime prevention and proactive crime prevention measures are prevalent in these communities.

GUIDELINES FOR STARTING A COMMUNITY WATCH GROUP

1. Understand that the group must be affiliated with a sector community forum. Every police station has got sectors and every sector has a crime community policing forum.

2. Contact your local police stations and speak to the sector commander. You will need to present them with your group’s constitution, outlining its purpose and conduct.

3. All members of the group will have to undergo a clearance and affiliation process, under the sector commander’s guidance. Note that if you have a criminal record, you will not qualify to be part of a neighbourhood watch group.

4. Once officially registered (with appointment certificates), it is recommended that group members use branded materials (think bibs and vehicle magnets) to ensure visibility and easy identification.

5. For a community group to operate legally and well, all members must abide by the law at all times. Community watch is about working with local law enforcement to observe and report suspicious behaviour. Group members should never act on their terms or get involved in any law enforcement action.

6. To ensure your group is functioning at its best, you need to implement fast, reliable communication between group members. The Secure 911 App is the perfect tool for this kind of connection (especially as we’re never far from our smartphones).

At Secure 911, we are focused on helping you and your family keep safe and secure at all times.

All it requires is a simple download to your smartphone.

The result?

Access to free features like:

• Overwatch (to set up mobile community channels)

• Monitor (to track your loved ones in real-time)

• Chats (to contact other Secure 911 members in your contact list). Sign up for the Panic SOS premium feature and turn your smartphone into a panic button that connects you to a 24/7 rapid response control room.

Get smart security straight from your smartphone, get Secure 911.