Obslife, Dec 2009

MATTHEW Jellen, manager of the team of Vetus Schola security guards contracted by the Observatory Improvement District (OBSID), says in the few short weeks on the job in Observatory they've come across several drug dealers whom they'd chased out of Seapoint when they cleaned up that area a few years ago.

With the same proactive approach, they will do the same in Obs, says Jellen. In his more than 20 years' experience in the security industry, he has learned that getting rid of drug dealers in an area puts an immediate damper on other crimes.

This was illustrated when Vetus Schola guards recently delivered a suspected drug dealer in Lower Main Road to the police, who subsequently found stolen property in his house.

Jellen, who has a military background, says what strikes him about Observatory is how active the neighbourhood watch is. He says this, together with the good communication between the police and the community, gives him hope that the crime situation will quickly improve.

At first, crime will shift from area to area within Obs as hotspots are targeted, but will eventually be flushed out as the grip of the security operations takes hold.

Jellen says it will take a month or two before residents will experience a marked difference in crime levels.

Vetus Schola, which means ''old school'' in Latin, has branches in Cape Town, PE and Limpopo.