Impact of Crime on Small Businesses Report 2008 - Gauteng Online

THE IMPACT OF CRIME ON SMALL BUSINESSESprovides businesses who participate in local initiatives such as CPF or BusinessWatch with discounted rates for insurance and/or private security.THE CAPE TOWN PARTNERSHIPDiscussions with stakeholders highlighted the positive progress that has been achieved throughthe Cape Town Partnership. One <strong>of</strong> the Partnership’s initiatives is the establishment <strong>of</strong> City ImprovementDistricts (CIDs), a key mechanism for urban management in Cape Town. The CIDsprovide a number <strong>of</strong> services that complement those provided by the Cape Metro.A CID is a geographical area in which property owners agree to contribute above and beyond therates levied by the Council towards extra services within the area. The funds are mainly channelledtoward extra cleansing and security, as well as maintenance <strong>of</strong> infrastructure and upgradingthe environment.A City <strong>of</strong> Cape Town by-law allows for the creation <strong>of</strong> CIDs and the collection <strong>of</strong> the top-up levy onrates. With the agreement <strong>of</strong> at least 51 percent <strong>of</strong> all property owners in a particular area, a CIDmay request the local authority to levy all property owners within the area to pay for the additionalservices. The contribution is then mandatory – ensuring that free-rider problems are avoided. Undera service level agreement between the City and the CID, both the municipality and CID provideguaranteed services with penalties for non-performance.The Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), for example, dedicates half its fundingto security - providing 2 dedicated security managers, 10 mounted horseback patrols and 6 mobilepatrol vehicles. The CCID private security collaborates with SAPS, the Traffic Department and CityPolice, who provide 2 uniformed <strong>of</strong>ficers with powers <strong>of</strong> arrest.11.3 Environmental design and urban infrastructureTown planning and environmental design emerged as a key factor in making urbanareas easier to police. This includes issues such as the provision <strong>of</strong> adequate andreliable street lighting, ensuring that taxi ranks are designed to accommodate largenumbers <strong>of</strong> taxis, thus eliminating the need for triple parking on public roads, andthe demarcation <strong>of</strong> secure trading areas for informal traders, where their own risk<strong>of</strong> exposure to crime is reduced, and where they are less likely to contribute – directlyor indirectly – to robberies and petty theft.Police representatives told us <strong>of</strong> the difficulties <strong>of</strong> undertaking foot patrols in innercity areas, where pavements crowded with hawkers make it easy for criminals torob street-front shops, or grab bags and cell phones from pedestrians, and then meltaway into the crowd, where they cannot be tracked by CCTV. Hawkers may alsobe coerced by criminals into hiding stolen goods and weapons, as well as providinga cover for the perpetrators themselves.83