I live in the Village, why should I subsidise security for those living up against the mountain? I live up against the mountain, why should I pay for all the issues on the beachfront? I live near the Glen, I’m worried about vagrants, not beach or mountain security. Why should I pay for that?

It should be self-evident that each part of Camps Bay has its own security and other issues, and every owner feels differently about what the priorities of the CID should be.

It should also be obvious that together we are only safe if we are all safe, otherwise we merely shift crime from one part of the suburb to another.

The purpose of the CID is to make the whole of Camps Bay better, cleaner and safer, by deterring criminals from coming here in the first place, and making life very difficult for them if they try. This includes managing the growing problems of illegal shack building, aggressive begging, vagrants and the other social ills that plague the beachfront and greenbelt areas.

The CID’s big budget items – a suburb-wide professionally monitored camera network, three tactical vehicles, command and control and dedicated Law Enforcement officers – will be spread relatively evenly across different parts of the suburb. Social development will be primarily (but not exclusively) directed at the beachfront, but a safe, clean and well-maintained beachfront is of value to all residents, not just those who live there, and reflected in property values. 

Instead of short-sighted focus on the direct benefits to one area alone, the CID should be viewed as a holistic, long-term solution to Camps Bay’s various and diverse problems. One that  – when put together – will make everyone safer, and Camps Bay a better place to live, no matter which part of the suburb you live in.