Residents take back Verulam CBD

A GROUP of security-savvy residents in Verulam have partnered with the local police to clean up abandoned spaces in the town’s CBD.

Sagren Venkatas, chairperson of the Verulam Business Forum, said there was an increase in crime along many of the main shopping streets in the CBD.

“We’re getting more and more reports of people being robbed of cellphones, cash, their bags and even shopping packets. People don’t feel safe anymore. Most people are being robbed in open spaces or abandoned areas between streets and buildings,” said Venkatas.

He said he was recently the victim

of crime.

“I was robbed by two men at the corner of Todd and Wick streets. They grabbed me and held a knife to my throat. I was able to fight back and escape. That made me think: what if it was my wife, son, or an elderly person?"

Venkatas approached the owner of a property at the corner of Todd and Wicks streets, who informed him that

he would begin construction at the site in a few months. Venkatas requested space on the land in the interim, which would be cleared and used as a visible security checkpoint.

“The owner agreed, until construction begins. The property was adopted and rehabilitated. The place is now cleared of all the dumped dirt, and we have removed the overgrown bushes.

“The area is fenced off, and a container that was donated has been modified and equipped to serve as a station for various anti-crime projects.

“We hope this is the first of more areas in the CBD that will be used as a visible area to monitor shoppers’ safety and maintain overall anti-crime activities. We believe that with the presence of SAPS, metro police, security companies and the community, the project will effectively reduce crime in the CBD.

“This project is all about developing Verulam, boosting its economy, and getting shoppers back into our businesses, making our town great again.

“As the Verulam Business Forum, our aim is to build business and promote safety and security. We also want other communities to take back their areas from criminals as we are doing.”

Colonel Steve Strydom, Verulam SAPS VisPol representative, said: “This is a partnership with the Verulam Business Forum, security cluster and metro police. This multi-disciplinary operation will be effective for the festive season, which sees a crime spike. But it will be all year long to ensure the safety for the public.

“We see this as a partnership to lower crime in this town. We can already see the results with our community in blue, which is operational.”