The Franschhoek Safety Initiative (FSI), a community-funded safety project launched in 2022 to improve security along the town’s Main Road, recently held its first annual general meeting (AGM) to discuss the initiatives, successes and plans for the future.
The FSI was established in response to concerns about petty crime and the need for a visible security presence in the village’s main street and, where funding allows, surrounding streets. The initiative operates primarily through dedicated foot patrols, aimed at creating a safer, hassle-free environment for residents, workers and tourists alike.
From the outset, it focused on two core objectives, namely creating a visible deterrent by deploying experienced security guards at strategic points along Main Road, connecting those guards directly with the Franschhoek Police Station, local Law Enforcement and private security to ensure quick and proportionate responses to incidents.
In practice, this has meant deploying four trained guards, named the “red caps” from the red coloured beanies they wear from the Dogs And All private security company during peak season, operating from 10:00 to 23:00, seven days a week, and scaling down to two guards daily during winter months from 10:00 to 22:00.
The guards are linked by walkie-talkie to the control room at Pepler Alarms, which coordinates responses with surrounding role-players.
Two such role-players include the Franschhoek First Responders (FFR), a voluntary medical service, as well as Franschhoek police.
During the meeting, FSI chairperson Neal Douglass shared that cooperation with the local police as well as the FFR has been a success with assistance readily available to the foot patrollers should they need it.
According to Douglass, local security companies have indicated to the FSI that harassement of visitors to the Main Road have decreased by 30% since the patrolling of the security guards.
Kurt Maske, a volunteer at FFR, also indicated that FSI simplifies their work as incidents are reported and attended to quicker.
The initiative is entirely funded by the community and has achieved public benefit organisation status, enabling it to issue Section 18A tax receipts to donors.
Beyond the patrols, the initiative has also formally engaged with welfare services and local youth projects, including Franschhoek Resource and Network Coordination Organisation (Franco), to assist in cases involving vulnerable or homeless minors.
More than 140 businesses and residents have already contributed, however the FSI encouraged more businesses and residents, especially those in Main Road, to sign up as members for R3 900 per year or R390 per month.
If funding targets are met, the FSI plans to increase coverage to five guards for nine months of the year and three in winter, with expansion dependent on community support.
