Getting To Know Paul Middleton, SFPO Safety and Security Representative

(Paul is also the owner of Calibre Security.)

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐅𝐁? 

I’ve been visiting St. Francis Bay since I was around 15 years old. Tracey, my wife, has had a family holiday home here since 1989. In 2018, we decided to buy our own home here, and by late 2019, we had relocated. We love living here and being part of such a wonderful, tightly-knit community.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞? 

For 16 years, we resided in the UK, with our final six years spent in Bury St. Edmunds. Crime was never a concern during our time there. However, upon returning to South Africa, we realised that, regrettably, one of the most significant drawbacks of living here is the constant awareness and stress surrounding the possibility of crime affecting us at any given moment. The stress that most South Africans live under concerning crime and poverty is not natural.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲?

Remain vigilant, secure your property’s perimeter, and foster good relationships with your neighbours. If you have an alarm or CCTV system, testing and maintaining it regularly is crucial to ensure its effectiveness. We must work together as a community to ensure we do all we can to protect our bubble.

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚?

It is imperative to always consider new technology and new ways of doing things quicker and more efficiently. However, traditional patrols and increased visibility are sometimes the most effective measures. As a community, we are fortunate to have Atlas Security and Intersec on the CCTV side. I’m glad they do an amazing job with the Camera network in St Francis Bay. 

𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬?

The culture around WhatsApp groups is diverting at times. Running commentary during an incident can be distracting and unnecessary. However, there is always communication with safety officers and other parties involved during an incident. Residents need to be aware of this.

© Caroline Jone Photography