Frequently Asked questions

These are some of the typical questions asked by members.

Common questions residents ask about owning a radio:

How Do I Get A Radio:

Complete the application form obtained from the Chairman or Radio Administrator.

How Much Does A Radio Cost:

New radio prices change daily as the rand dollar exchange rate changes, we can therefore not give an exact price without confirmation, but you can send us an email and we will respond to you.

What Happens If I Move Out Of The Area:

Your radio will be reset and can then be re-programmed for whatever future use. Please contact the Blockwatch when you are moving out of our area.

I Already Own A Two Way Radio Can I Use That:

Unfortunately not, the Blockwatch radio system is scrambled by Kenwood proprietary scrambling, only selected Kenwood models has this scrambling feature. This is done to prevent unauthorised people listening to Blockwatch communications, including criminals.

Can I Program My Own Radio:

The frequency used by the Blockwatch radio system is on a licensed radio spectrum therefore only licensed radio dealers are permitted to program your radio. This is a requirement from ICASA, any radio device operating on licensed frequency spectrum has to be programmed by a licensed radio dealer.

What Is The Range Of My Radio

The Blockwatch radio system utilise a repeater located in the Westrand allowing for theoretical communications of about a 15 kilometre radius from the repeater.
Sector 3 is fully covered.

How Long Does My Radios Battery Last:

All depending on the condition of the radio battery, a new battery should allow 12 hours of operation.

What Happens If I Lose My Radio:

Stolen radios should be reported immediately to the Chairman, Patrol Captain or Radio Administrator.
The Blockwatch radio administrator will then switch your radio off with a code so that it becomes useless to whoever has stolen or taken it.

Common questions residents ask when we canvas for new members:

We Pay a Lot of Taxes, Why Are the Police Not Doing Their Job and Look After Us:

We are lucky to live within the Roodepoort police station precinct where things are generally well resourced and well managed, but the police do not have enough manpower to look after such large policing areas.

Countries throughout the world with low crime and effective policing, achieve their success due to very close co-operation between the community and the police.

The trend in South Africa is for divided communities, with people living in isolation. Criminals thrive in these conditions!!!

Does a Blockwatch Actually Work:

Yes, crime trends show that areas with active blockwatches have lowered their crime incidents by up to 50% or more.

Crime in the Sector 3 suburbs spiked to the highest before the blockwatch was started.

The good news, since the blockwatch was started in early 2009, the patrollers and members have been responsible in preventing many possible criminal incidents. The SAPS crime trends confirm a noticeable drop in incidents.

By being a blockwatch member you are part of the information loop and by creating a strong community spirit, criminals know that.

They will face potential resistance and apprehension if residents are more alert.
We are no longer an easy target!!!

I Have Armed Response, Why Should I Belong to Horison Blockwatch:

You must keep your armed response, but there are many people in our area that cannot afford such a service.

By its very nature, the armed response service is purely reactionary. That means that the criminal must be in your property or home before they respond.

Horison Blockwatch patrols and responds in our neighbourhood; it’s our community, for our community. Along with armed response, we are there for one another.

My Surrounding Neighbours Belong to Horison Blockwatch, Patrollers Look After Their Homes By Default. They Also Look at My Home. Why Then Must I Be a Paying Member:

True, we check every home or property within our patrol area and we help you even if you are not a blockwatch member.

But!!! If you are not a blockwatch member, we do not have all your contact details. The patrollers cannot contact you or your family if they see something suspicious in or around your property. We also, by nature, pay more attention to homes with blockwatch sign boards and we get to know our members routines.

What Are the Membership Fees and What Are They Used for:

A once off joining fee of R600 or R360 six monthly.
We do ask a once off admin fee of R120.00 where a portion of contributes to the Blockwatch board that is fitted onto your property and the board remains the property of Horison Blockwatch.

Once you pay your joining fee, we come fit your sign board on your gate within 10 – 14 working days. The rest of the money goes into an audited blockwatch bank account.

Blockwatch members fees are used to cover day to day running cost of the Blockwatch for example patroller lights, car decals, ID cards, safety equipment, communication radios etc as per CPF regulations. A portion of the funds are contributed to radio licence fees for the radio to work on the repeater which is required by ICASA.

We also need the money to recruit more members and inform current members of incidents and events via e-mails or sms/WhatsApp.

If I Become a Blockwatch Member, Do I Have to Patrol:

No, you do not have to be a patroller. However, the more patrollers we have the less the burden on existing patrollers.

We need to get enough patrollers to patrol around the clock. We have already noticed that criminal activity has dropped during our key patrol times and shifted into times that are not being covered by patrols.

If you become an active patroller, in your second year of membership you no longer pay membership fees, but this can change if you do not stay an active patroller.

Is Patrolling Dangerous:

No, we are non-confrontational and completely unarmed so there is no reason for a criminal to cause us physical harm.

A patroller’s job is to observe and monitor at a safe distance, should a patroller feel that a vehicle or pedestrian is up to no good, they will call fellow patrollers and assist security companies for backup and SAPS for assistance.

These are some of the typical questions to cover

What does the Blockwatch do

Blockwatch is a group of neighbours who work together to keep the neighbourhood safe. They watch out for anything unusual, like strangers or things that don’t seem right, and they tell a trusted adult or the police if they see something. They also help each other and make sure everyone feels safe and happy where they live. It’s like having extra friends looking out for you!

When should I phone the Blockwatch

If they see someone they don’t know acting suspiciously around the neighbourhood or are being followed or being called to someone’s car they don’t know.
If they notice someone trying to break into a house or car or jumping over the wall.
If they find something dangerous, like broken glass or a strange object, in a place where it shouldn’t be.
If they hear unusual noises, like loud bangs or screams, especially at night.
If they see a neighbour in trouble, like someone who looks hurt or needs help or sees an accident.

When should I not phone the Blockwatch

If they are just bored and want to talk to someone.
If they want to play a joke or prank the Blockwatch members.
If they see a friend or neighbour doing normal things, like playing outside or walking their dog.
If they hear regular noises, like kids playing, dogs barking, or cars driving by.
If they are upset about something small, like losing a toy or not getting their way.

It’s important to only call the Blockwatch for real emergencies or safety concerns!