Tag Archive for: public safety

As the year draws to a close, the TVID looks back on twelve months of sustained progress in keeping Tygervalley cleaner, safer and more resilient. From public safety patrols to urban cleaning and rapid response to service requests, our team has remained focused on delivering the services that help businesses operate with confidence.

This year’s statistics, illustrated in the infographics below, highlight the day-to-day work that keeps our district running smoothly. Whether attending to service requests, responding to public safety incidents, clearing illegal dumping or maintaining public spaces, the CID continues to provide consistent, on-the-ground support for the precinct.

Public Safety & Security

Our public safety team continues to play a vital role in maintaining a safe and responsive environment. Regular vehicle and foot patrols, proactive engagement with the public, the recovery of stolen goods, and coordinated responses to incidents are all part of our commitment to crime prevention.

The festive season often brings increased movement, higher visitor numbers and a rise in opportunistic crime, making the presence of the CID’s public safety officers even more essential at this time of year.

Urban Cleaning & Management

Across Tygervalley, our cleaning and maintenance teams have worked throughout the year to keep streets, verges and public spaces clean and well managed. Activities such as removing litter, clearing illegal dumping, attending to urban defects, servicing public bins and keeping stormwater infrastructure clear have all contributed to creating a more inviting environment for workers, visitors and businesses.

These ongoing operations ensure that the district remains functional and well maintained despite seasonal changes, heavy usage and broader service delivery pressures.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Cape Town continues to experience strong growth, driven in part by ongoing semigration as more people and businesses relocate to the city. This shift brings both opportunity and increased pressure on urban environments, making the role of CIDs more important than ever. Against this backdrop, our focus remains on delivering reliable, high-quality public safety and urban cleaning services that support a well-managed and resilient district.

As Gene Lohrentz, Managing Director of Geocentric Urban Management, notes:

“Throughout the year, we have kept our focus on delivering consistent and effective public safety and urban cleaning services. The continued progress in these areas reflects the dedication of our teams. We look forward to building on this momentum as we move into 2026.”

Geocentric, now in its sixteenth year of partnership with City Improvement Districts, proudly oversees 14 of Cape Town’s 54 CIDs. Our commitment remains centred on strengthening service delivery, supporting business growth and ensuring that each district remains a thriving, welcoming space.

safety tips

Festive Season Safety Tips

As the holidays approach, it is important for businesses to remain vigilant. The festive season typically brings increased foot traffic, higher crime risks and a heightened chance of fire incidents. The following tips can help safeguard your property, staff and operations.

Protect Your Business & Property

  • Keep your security systems in good working order:
    Test alarms, CCTV cameras, access control systems, security lighting and gate mechanisms to ensure they are fully functional.
  • Improve exterior lighting:
    Well-lit areas act as a deterrent and support visibility for security personnel. Consider using timers and motion sensors to improve efficiency.
  • Make use of professional security services:
    Invest in reputable security or armed response services, and stay connected to community information channels such as WhatsApp groups or neighbourhood watch networks.
  • Fire safety matters:
    Check fire extinguishers, ensure flammable materials are stored safely, train staff in fire procedures and confirm that your fire detection systems are operational.

Retail & Business Operations

  • Install panic buttons and adequate surveillance:
    Strategically place panic buttons and ensure that cameras are positioned to avoid blind spots.
  • Be alert during opening and closing times:
    These periods are high-risk and require extra vigilance from staff.
  • Avoid predictable cash deposit patterns:
    Vary the timing and route of deposits to reduce the likelihood of targeting.
  • Secure all access points:
    Before leaving your premises, check all doors, windows, roller shutters and gates, ensuring they are properly locked and in good working order.

Staff & Customer Safety

  • Verify all new employees:
    Request identification, proof of residence and previous references before hiring.
  • Monitor stock and cash handling:
    Regularly review inventory, equipment and cash procedures.
  • Train staff for emergencies:
    Ensure all employees know what to do in the event of a fire, robbery or medical emergency.

Road Safety

  • Ensure vehicles are roadworthy:
    Service vehicles regularly and check essentials such as spare tyres, jacks and warning triangles.
  • Stay alert on the roads:
    The festive period sees increased traffic and higher numbers of intoxicated drivers. Take extra care and avoid driving when tired and when the roads are extremely busy over holidays.

Stay Vigilant: Road Crime & ATM Safety

  • Prevent road crime:
    Keep valuables out of sight, remain aware of your surroundings and ensure doors are locked when stationary or driving.
  • Stay safe at ATMs:
    Use well-lit machines, avoid distractions and never share your PIN with anyone.

See more Safety Tips

Emergency Contacts

Keep these essential numbers easily accessible:

  • SAPS: 10111
  • Metro Police & Traffic: 0860 765 423
  • City of Cape Town Disaster Management: 107
  • CID Control Room (24-hour public safety emergencies): 021 565 0900
  • Community WhatsApp Group: Message 081 869 8911 to join

View more important contacts

As we close out the year, thank you for helping us keep Tygervalley safe, clean and thriving.

Wishing you a safe, restful and prosperous festive season.

As we approach the Easter weekend many families are looking forward to much needed time spent bonding over easter egg hunts and delicious lunches. However, as we all travel to our destinations, the days leading up to Easter weekend see many more motorists driving further in the first rains of our wet season.

As we set off in these conditions, we urge all motorists to take extreme caution and increase their awareness of the common causes of accidents and other road-users safety.

Here are our top tips for travelling safely this Easter weekend.

Check your vehicle.  

Many accidents happen due to vehicles not reacting to a driver’s delayed response If you are travelling in heavy rain, use the brightest setting for your head and tail lights to improve visibility. Ensure that your wiper blades are in good condition as spray from other vehicles reduces visibility considerably so take extra care when overtaking or being overtaken. Braking is significantly impacted by the tread on your tyres so make sure you have sufficient tread. If you experience car trouble, turn on your hazard lights as bright as you can, set up additional warning signs if you have them in your car and pull off the road. Remain seated inside the car especially at night, as glare from your hazards may make it difficult for oncoming traffic to see you. 

For more information on how to check your vehicle watch the Arrive Alice video below 

Leave early and take breaks. 

Due to the increasing amount of vehicles on the road drivers should leave earlier and be prepared for delays on the roads during poor weather conditions. This will help you avoid any abrupt acceleration, excessive speed and sudden steering movements which are the main culprits of accidents. Additionally, adjust your speed and following distance – five to seven seconds to break –  to ensure that you can stop safely.

Drivers’ fatigue – caused by long-distance driving after a long day at work or a late night – is also a major contributor to fatal accidents. Emotional stress, lack of sleep, boredom and sun glare all cause fatigue so make sure to get a good seven hours of sleep before you travel. Additionally, for most of us, our sleep-wake cycle is set to be resting between 2 am and 6 am so try not to travel in these low light early hours of the morning. 

If you are tired, stop and have a rest. Signs that you are too tired to drive include your eyes shutting, daydreaming, swerving, crankiness, restlessness and frequent yawning or eye rubbing. 

Remain aware of other road users. 

Last year, approximately 35% of the people who died on the roads over the Easter long weekend were pedestrians – making them the group most affected by accidents. Please remain aware of the sides of the road, particularly when travelling between towns as many people hitchhike to see their families. In areas of particular interest, there will also be signs alerting you to remain vigilant. Once you have spotted a pedestrian, slow down and give them lots of space until you have passed them fully as those who have consumed alcohol are likely to make dangerous decisions. If you can, plan to avoid driving in low light conditions as these combined with bad weather make other road users far more difficult to see. 

Do not drink and drive – at all. 

According to the new amendments in the National Road Traffic Act, anyone caught with blood that has an alcohol content of more than 0.05% will be arrested, charged with Driving Under the Influence of Liquor and held in custody until they can post bail if bail is not denied. Depending on your record, and the circumstances surrounding your arrest, you face the loss of your driver’s licence, a criminal record, a minimum fine of R2 000, a two-year prison sentence, or all of the above. 

To put 0.05% into perspective any more than 350ml of beer, or a single tot of Brandy puts you over the limit with these levels of alcohol remaining in your system for up to eight hours after consumption. 

Be aware of the signs of other drivers who may be drunk around you, such as weaving between lanes, accelerating and braking erratically or displaying delayed responses. If you think another driver is intoxicated, put more distance between yourselves and them as quickly and safely as you can. Please also report it by contacting the City’s Law Enforcement, Traffic and Coordination Department by calling 021 480 7700 or the National Traffic Call Centre on 086 140 0800.

By making sure we have road safe vehicles, taking our time getting where we are going, respecting the pedestrians on our roads and never getting on the roads intoxicated we ensure that all of us can enjoy safer roads this Easter. 

Headlines From The City

City’s budget will do more to clean up our Mother City

City serious about diverting organic waste from landfills

Comment on the City’s draft Integrated Development Plan 2022 – 2027

Featured image credits : <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/photos/green-road’>Green road photo created by 4045 – www.freepik.com</a>

THE so-called cctv (closed circuit television) camera project that is being envisaged for the area by the TVID (Tyger Valley Improvement District) is on track as far as planning is concerned.

According to Gene Lohrentz of Geocentric this is a pilot project and is earmarked for implementation before 30 June 2018, pending all the necessary approvals.

He says initially four ‘PTZ’ (pan tilt zoom) cameras will be installed at the following general locations:

1. Edward Street
2. Durban Road
3. The Corner of Willie van Schoor and Bill Bezuidenhout Avenue
4. At the parking areas in front of Virgin Active and Mr Price Sport

The cameras will be linked via a “wi fi” link to a central location in the area and from there will be linked via a high-speed link to the TVID control room, where the camera footage will be monitored on a 24/7 basis.

Depending on an evaluation of the results of the pilot project and based on them, TVID plans to install further cameras in the 2018/19 financial year.

The value of the pilot project is approximately R 250 000.