Kimberley residents take safety into own hands amid surge in break-ins

RESIDENTS in Kimberley are taking proactive steps to protect their homes as a wave of break-ins continues to unsettle neighbourhoods across the city. In areas such as Kirstenhof and Riviera, homeowners are turning to private security partnerships to strengthen local safety, saying limited police visibility has left many feeling vulnerable.

Cameras that never sleep

Kirstenhof was among the first suburbs to act, partnering with Fidelity ADT Security to install live-monitored surveillance cameras at key access points. The system feeds directly into the company’s control centre, allowing for faster response times and visible patrols in the area.

Residents say that since the network went live, incidents of break-ins and burglary have dropped noticeably. “We were tired of living in fear and waiting for something to be done,” said one Kirstenhof resident. “The difference since the cameras went up has been remarkable; theft in the area has dropped a lot.”

ADT’s local operations team first conducts a detailed survey of each neighbourhood to determine how many households are needed for a viable roll-out. In Riviera, for instance, the first phase required at least 100 homes to come on board before installation could begin. Each installed pole carries two cameras facing different directions to maximise coverage, and the footage is live-monitored around the clock.

“The more households that join, the stronger the system becomes,” an ADT representative said. “Neighbourhoods that work together are seeing faster response times and fewer incidents.”

Riviera follows suit

Encouraged by Kirstenhof’s success, residents in Riviera have now begun installing their own camera network under a similar model. The roll-out includes multiple phases, each expanding coverage as more households participate.

ADT confirmed that the initiative includes both surveillance and increased patrols by armed-response officers, who are dispatched when alerts are triggered by the camera network.

However, Fidelity ADT is not the only private security provider operating in Kimberley. Several other firms and smaller independent operators also offer monitored surveillance and armed-response services to local communities. In the case of Kirstenhof and Riviera, ADT was selected by residents after consultations with different companies.

A growing financial burden

The project, however, comes at a personal cost. Each household contributes to installation and monthly monitoring fees, with no municipal or state subsidy.

“People are dipping into their own pockets because they don’t feel safe anymore,” said a Riviera resident. “We can’t just sit and wait for someone else to fix the problem; our safety depends on us now.”

The Riviera neighbourhood watch remains active and continues to patrol at night, working closely with both private security and SAPS. Community leaders emphasised that patrols are conducted strictly within the bounds of the law. Volunteers are instructed not to confront or detain anyone but to alert police or security officers when necessary.

“We’re here to watch, not to act as the police,” one neighbourhood watch member explained. “Our job is to spot suspicious behaviour and report it.”

An uneven playing field

While initiatives like these have proven effective in some suburbs, they also highlight the city’s growing security divide. Many lower-income communities across Kimberley face similar threats but lack the financial means to install camera systems or hire private patrols.

In these areas, residents often rely solely on SAPS visibility, street committees, and informal volunteer patrols. Without adequate resources, response times can be slower, and criminal activity more frequent.

Local analysts warn that unless government-led safety initiatives are strengthened, the gap between communities that can afford private security and those that cannot will continue to widen, deepening inequality and leaving the most vulnerable citizens exposed.

“Safety should never depend on income level,” said one community activist. “We need a long-term solution that involves proper policing, lighting, and functioning neighbourhood forums for all residents, not just those who can pay monthly security fees.”

Policing and prevention

While residents acknowledge that community-driven initiatives have restored a sense of control, many say the need for private surveillance reflects deeper systemic problems.

The police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing into a rise in residential burglaries across Kimberley. Meanwhile, officers continue to urge residents to report all incidents promptly to assist with investigations.

This local trend aligns with earlier warnings from SAPS, which has repeatedly urged residents to take proactive steps to secure their properties.

In a public safety feature published by the DFA three months ago, SAPS outlined a list of burglary-prevention tips, including installing alarms and CCTV systems, strengthening doors and windows, co-ordinating with neighbours, and reporting suspicious activity without delay.

That advice, published under the headline “Top tips to secure your home and keep burglars out”, mirrors what communities like Kirstenhof and Riviera have since implemented: taking the guidance and translating it into co-ordinated local action.

The police have also reiterated that vigilance, co-operation, and early reporting remain key to preventing burglaries and apprehending offenders. Residents are encouraged to contact their local police station or the SAPS Crime Stop number 08600 10111 to report any suspicious activity or seek assistance.

Background: a problem months in the making

The decision by residents to invest in camera networks follows months of escalating concern about property crime in Kimberley.

Earlier this year, the DFA reported on an alarming increase in yard break-ins, with criminals targeting copper pipes, solar lights, bicycles, and other easily resellable items. That report, titled “Kimberley residents are growing increasingly alarmed as yard break-ins surge”, quoted local firm Top Security Systems (TSS), which attributed much of the problem to financial hardship and warned that nearly 90 percent of incidents went unreported, leaving the police with an incomplete picture of the city’s true crime levels.

TSS urged residents to improve perimeter lighting, maintain functioning alarms, and communicate through neighbourhood groups. At the time, communities that had organised local patrols reported fewer incidents, setting an early example for what has now evolved into Kimberley’s camera-based safety networks.

Around the same period, the DFA published “Stay safe: Northern Cape police share vital safety tips”, in which SAPS outlined personal and home-safety guidelines, from staying alert in public spaces to securing homes with locks, lights, and alarms. The campaign, part of SAPS’s broader provincial safety awareness drive, emphasised that citizens must remain vigilant and work together with law enforcement.

The co-ordinated approach now seen in suburbs like Kirstenhof and Riviera reflects the progression of those earlier efforts: from awareness and advice, to community-level implementation, to technology-driven deterrence.

Expert insights

Security analysts say the rise in privately funded camera networks is part of a broader national trend as communities respond to gaps in policing capacity.

“Community involvement is a powerful deterrent,” said one security expert familiar with Kimberley’s safety structures. “But true safety depends on co-ordination. Residents, law enforcement, and local government must work together, not operate in silos.”

Experts caution that while technology helps deter opportunistic crime, sustainable safety also requires urban maintenance, such as working streetlights, visible policing, and investment in social infrastructure that reduces desperation and unemployment, which often drive property crime.

‘We are watching’

For many residents, the camera networks have rekindled a sense of collective vigilance that had faded over time. One Riviera resident summed up the prevailing mood bluntly: “We are gatvol of these tsotsi criminals. If you’re one of them reading this, be warned, we are watching you.”

For now, the watchful eyes of these cameras have become both a deterrent and a symbol of Kimberley’s growing resilience: a city where citizens, weary of waiting for change, have chosen to protect their own streets while still calling for a more accountable and visible police presence.