What is the correct access protocol in Dowerglades?
From a security point of view, it is vital to very quickly identify non-residents as they enter the suburb. The guards have been instructed to wait for the driver to take out his tag and use it for entry. If there is no tag, then he must treat the vehicle as a visitor to Dowerglades, which means scanning the licence disc.
Why must visitors’ licence discs be scanned?
The scanner may look like a mobile phone, but it is a sophisticated piece of equipment that is an important deterrent tool. When the licence is scanned, it provides a description of the vehicle. If the actual vehicle differs from the description, the guard is alerted that the vehicle may be suspicious. There have been a number of incidents where SAPS arrested people with false number plates – who knows what their intentions were in Dowerglades.
Why do I need to use my own tag when the guard is right there?
In Dowerglades, contributing residents have access tags and anyone who doesn’t use a tag is treated as a visitor. Visitors require more attention and vigilance for obvious security reasons. With follow-home crimes on the increase, it is also important to create a time buffer between residents and visitors so that the guard can evaluate the situation. If the guard’s attention is focused on opening the boom for people who have tags, we are defeating the objective of our upgraded system. One of the great features is that tags can be disabled. So if somebody loses an access tag, we disable the tag so that a criminal cannot enter Dowerglades using the tag. Unless the guard just opens for them….see why we cannot relax the protocol?
But the guard knows me and knows I live here!
Your contributions have enabled us to install a superior system in Dowerglades, as evidenced by our low crime rate. While the guards may well know you, they also know non-contributors and frequent visitors. It is an ongoing training challenge to ensure that the guards follow visitor protocol but we continue to work on this with Savika. If you don’t use your tag, you are making it easier for criminals to gain access as well as those people in the closure who already rely on your contribution to pay for their security.
Reminders about what your contribution has created:
- Zero crime in over a year and extremely low crime rates overall
- A safer community where we see people taking walks with their pets and families
- Increased property values as a result of visible security and low crime rates
- We have a dedicated patrol and response vehicle in Dowerglades. Note that Savika armed response is only available to DRA contributors because contributions pay for the bulk of the costs of having a dedicated vehicle. You therefore benefit from the fastest possible armed response times from a vehicle right here in our closure
If you have any queries about the security system in Dowerglades, please visit www.dowerglades.co.za and send us a message on the Contact us page or contact a committee member.
