The Franschhoek Safety Initiative (FSI), a community-funded safety project launched in 2022 to improve security along Franschhoek’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 a dedicated foot patrol aimed at creating a safer, hassle-free environment for residents, workers and tourists alike.
From the outset, the initiative 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” because of 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 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 roleplayers.
Two such roleplayers include the Franschhoek First Responders (FFR), a voluntary medical service as well as the Franschhoek Police Sation.
Neal Douglass, chair of the FSI said during the AGM 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 the FFR also indicated at the AGM that FSI simplifies their work as incidents get reported and attended to quicker.
The initiative is entirely community funded 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 during the AGM encouraged more businesses and residents, especially in the Main Road, to become member for R3 900 per year or R390 per month.
If funding targets for the current season are met, the plan is to increase coverage to five guards for nine months of the year and three during winter, with the scope of expansion dependent on the level of community support.
