Armed response officers play an important role in Stellenbosch’s safety. They work together with the police, Campus Security and members of neighbourhood watches to keep residents and students safe.
We sat down with Travis Harrison, to ask him about the work he does in Stellenbosch. He works for Fidelity ADT.
What is your current assignment for FADT and what area do you cover?
I work as a community operations manager, my areas I cover are Simondium, Klapmuts and the greater Stellenbosch. My duties include dealing with the public, assisting police, patrols in Stellenbosch, looking where we can improve our service and working closely with the relevant neighbourhood watches.
How long have you worked in this town? And how long have you been with FADT?
I have been working in the Stellenbosch area for the past 12 years and have been with Fidelity ADT for about six months.
What are the unique challenges to working this area?
Stellenbosch has a lot of students and tourists, who all come here to enjoy this town’s immense beautify. When crimes are committed the criminals tend to target them on weekends.
How have you worked to prepare yourself or equip yourself for this area?
We understand one must be strategic on how one deploys resources, considering how vast this town is and how much green-belt area there is to cover. This is why we work closely with our police and security partners, so that we cover the maximum possible space.
What are the crime trends you see?
We regularly see cases where items are stolen out of motor vehicles as well as pickpocketing. Please report any of these incidents to the police when it occurs to you so we can build accurate and up-to-date crime-trend pictures.
What can the public do to make your job easier or to support you?
You can help us and be our eyes and ears. If you see anything suspicious in your area please raise the alarm and call your security company or the police.
What is your message to the public?
Keeping Stellenbosch safe requires teamwork. We can all work together – police, security companies, and ordinary members of the public – to keep our town and loved ones safe. This town has many dedicated and committed armed response and law-enforcement officers who are ready to come to your aid whenever you need them.
