Mi7 looking out for the city this holiday period
Mi7 has committed to assisting SAPS to keep the CBD and residential areas safe this festive season as crime is expected to spike.
Mi7 has deployed additional resources to the CBD and surrounding areas to achieve high security visibility as part of their festive season visibility campaign.
Mi7 National Group director Colin
David said this was in preparation of an anticipated crime wave targeting local businesses and customers over the festive season.
“Mi7 National Group’s own analytics show that between November and January, the rate of crimes such as business robberies, petty theft and housebreakings increase alarmingly. This is primarily due to an increase of foot traffic in the CBD with customers spending more over the festive season and a resulting boom in business. Residents also go on vacation in this period or leave their homes unattended which results in homes becoming a target for criminals,” David explained.
He added that Mi7 started to notice a spike in crime toward the end of November with more regularly reporting of robberies in the CBD. “Mi7 management decided to act quickly, making resources available to increase security visibility throughout the city.”
At the beginning of December, Mi7 diverted resources from their corporate guarding division and allocated to public safety, resulting in additional manpower being dispatched to the Northern suburbs, Montrose, Chase Valley, Hayfields, Ashburton, the Pietermaritzburg CBD, as well as Hilton and Howick.
Later this month, in a joint venture with the South African Police Service and other security stakeholders, Mi7 deployed 100 guards to the CBD. These guards were dispatched to high-risk, high-traffic areas in the city. Additionally, six armoured personnel carriers were deployed across the city, either roaming the CBD or stationed at strategic locations in Hayfields, Montrose and Raisethorpe.
The visibility campaign is in service of all businesses in need of security over the period and not just clients. David said Mi7 has been approached by business owners in the CBD who were adversely affected by the wide-scale looting in July and did not have the financial resources to properly secure their businesses.
“It was decided that the resources dispatched by Mi7 National Group would not only centre around areas saturated with clients; but serve all those who are in need of security over the period,” David said.