The Hot Squad have been on the streets for just 4 weeks but the program is proving more than successful… and now they are going high-tech!
Car Guards are not a new concept in South Africa but a recently developed campaign in the north of Joburg is taking the same idea and making it both lucrative to the guards protecting South Africans, and safer for all South Africans in their cars!
Hot 91.9FM, in proud partnership with Future City Fourways, and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) Traffic Warden Programme are helping to take back the streets of Johannesburg North, one intersection at a time!
The Hot Squad project was launched in September and consists of a team of expertly trained, dedicated and vigilant cadets awaiting their peace officer training. The team are currently stationed at major intersections in Fourways, starting at Fourways Crossing to the highway on William Nicol Drive and Cedar and Witkoppen and Witkoppen and Main Roads but the project has been such an incredible success that it might even be rolled out on more Johannesburg roads!
Jean Berdou, Chair of Future City Fourways, says, “We are thrilled to have Hot 91.9FM as our partner in this initiative. This is the start of a long term relationship where we take back one intersection at a time in the Johannesburg area. Hot 91.9FM is a much-loved, well-known community driven station and our partnership with them will certainly ensure that listeners are guided through the traffic with up-to-date traffic reports and the Hot Squad there keeping a lookout.”
Berdou adds: “This project is about so much more than just alleviating traffic and reporting crime incidents. It is also making a worthy contribution towards job creation for people from underprivileged communities.”
The project was created by the Fourways community after a crime wave hit the area with various hijackings, smash and grabs and small robberies and the concept has grown from a simple idea to something that could benefit all areas.
In just a month the Hot Squad have taken the crime rate to ZERO in all allocated areas, as well as also making a massive contribution to the improved safety, cleanliness and traffic information flow to the entire Fourways precinct.
“We’ve just completed four weeks of deployment with ZERO Smash and Grabs in their area of responsibility. The programme is set to expand substantially soon.
We also attribute this success to the Douglasdale CPF/ Montecasino sponsored Hot Spot Community warning signs and stand offs by security companies during peak hour traffic. TOGETHER we are securing our community.”
And now they are going high-tech!
Future City Fourways have confirmed that the Hot Squad will be fitted with Body Cameras soon, which will merge basic on the beat policing with high-tech surveillance, a first in South Africa.
Lloyd Madurai, Managing Director of Hot 91.9FM says, “We are extremely proud to have partnered with Future City Fourways on the Hot Squad Initiative. Our collective focus is to help keep you, the citizens, safe, 12 hours a day, five days a week.
It’s part of Hot 91.9’s commitment to the community that we serve, continuing to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us.”
The Hot Squad will be at major intersections in Fourways from 06h00 to 18h00 weekdays. For more information, please go to www.hot919.co.za.
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