Byers Proudly Safeguarding 12 CID's

Byers Security is proud to announce that we were awarded our 12th City Improvement District Project! A City Improvement District (CID) also known as a Special Ratings Area (SRA) is a non-profit organisation operating within a defined geographic area within which property owners agree to pay a levy for supplementary and complimentary services set to enhance the physical and social environment of the area.

A CID, according to the SRA by-law collects a CID levy from the ratepayers in the area over and above the normal rates charges. The money collected, unlike the rates, is a dedicated levy which can only be spent in the specific CID area and is used to provide “top up” services according to an approved Business Plan. These services provided by the CID are supplementary to those provided by the City of Cape Town, which continues to provide normal services.

Public Safety refers to the welfare and protection of the general public. It is usually a governmental responsibility, but in the case of a City Improvement District, the duty of prevention and protection of the public from dangers affecting safety such as crime, emergencies or disasters are contracted to a private security company. On a daily basis the public safety officers might grapple with issues which include narcotic use, harassment, juvenile delinquency, unauthorised living (vagrancy and homeless people, noise, lettering, dumping, inappropriate social behaviours, inebriation and other quality of life issues.

The Public Safety Officers are often the first responders when noticing a crime in progress or been alerted to a crime being committed. Assault, drinking in public and dealing with narcotics are unfortunately high on the agenda. A Primary aim is to disrupt criminal activity before it can be initiated. To create a safe environment in the public space for citizens to enjoy freedom of movement. Because of the above, an integrated operational plan and on going training

Training a Public Safety Officer:

The Public Safety Officer plays a vital role in achieving above mission and therefore each member is trained (and receive refreshment training) in the relevant By-Law’s and Urban Management applicable to the specific CID – Traffic, Parking, Water, Graffiti, Public Parks, Informal Trade, Problem Buildings, Street and Public Spaces, Community Safety, Air Quality Management, Outdoor Advertising and Signage

All CID Safety Officers receive training (and refreshment training) from our in house Training Centre and adhere to the new Draft by City Of Cape Town Policy for Private Security in a Public Space.

Conducting foot and vehicle patrols of public spaces within the CID area in order to attend to incidents and accidents and to identify, monitor and report disorder and violations of City by-laws to the relevant CID;
Effectively communicate with the City’s Safety and Security Directorate, SAPS, the local Community Policing Forum and any Neighbourhood Watch operating in the area, when required;
Reporting hazardous street conditions to the relevant CID who will bring same to the attention of the relevant City departments;
Monitor suspicious, violent and or dangerous behaviour and report such to the CID control room;
Monitoring street vendors to ensure public safety, and reporting violations of relevant City by-laws to the relevant CID who will bring same to the attention of the relevant City departments;
Perform any duties that might be required by the Client;
Ensure that all crime and or accident scenes are cordoned off until the SAPS and Traffic Services arrive;
Assist City Law Enforcement agencies and the SAPS when specifically tasked to do so by the CID;
Conduct visits to specific hot-spot areas as identified by the CID; and
Perform citizen’s arrests and hand-over suspects to SAPS on their arrival.
General Customer Care, how to assist a client in need or in an emergency

Vision shared by Byers Security and the CID's we serve:

Maintaining a safe, clean, well-managed Central Business District that attracts and retains business investment and activities in the area.
Reducing crime significantly by proactive visible patrolling and cooperation with existing SAPS and City of Cape Town Law.
Creating a safe and clean public environment by addressing issues of maintenance and cleaning of streets, pavements and public spaces.
Manage existing and new public infrastructure for the future benefit of all the users of the area.
Protect property values.
Attract new investment to the area.
Support the promotion of the CID Business area as a safe and clean environment by promoting greening, energy efficiency, recycling and risk / disaster management.
Support and promote social responsibility in the area
Social upliftment