Application Form

Terms & Conditions

PCW Standard Terms & Conditions

Introduction

The Pennington Community Watch (herein referred to as the PCW) is a Non-Profit Organization (NPO Number 290-808) operating from Pennington, South Africa, that aims to offer safety and security assistance to the greater Pennington community. We work with the South African Police Services, security companies and emergency services to orchestrate a safety network for members to report suspicious activity, request assistance and stay informed about security matters related to Pennington and our surrounding areas.

The PCW solely operates through volunteers in various capacities including patrollers, responders and committee members that oversee the daily activities of the PCW. All funds collected through our membership is spent on improving the overall security within Pennington through various ongoing projects and to improve the organization’s abilities to detect, monitor and respond to emergency situations.

To fund our operational costs, the PCW offers membership to eligible households and businesses that contribute towards the PCW on a monthly or annual basis.

The following Terms and Conditions are applicable to those who wish to join the PCW membership (herein referred to the applicant). Agreeing to join the PCW is subject to the acceptance of our Terms & Conditions as a whole.

Although the PCW offers its services to the entire Pennington community, we reserve certain services to paying PCW members who contribute to our NPO financially.

1. Services offered to PCW members:

The PCW offers the following services to PCW members:

1. A sign that can be fixed to your gate or home that shows that you are a PCW member. This remains the property of the PCW and will be removed should membership be terminated either by the member or the PCW.
2. Access to our Emergency WhatsApp groups where members and members of their household can report suspicious activity and request assistance in case of an emergency. The groups are monitored 24 hours a day and response is requested on behalf of the resident to our internal response groups that will be able to dispatch assistance when needed.
3. Volunteer patrollers who patrol Pennington and the surrounding areas daily to look out for any suspicious activity.
4. Volunteer responders that will respond to emergency situations.
5. Request for assistance from security companies, emergency services and SAPS in the event of serious security or safety incidents.
6. Implementation and monitoring of a growing road video surveillance network with cameras situated across Pennington and is monitored 24 hours a day.
7. Assistance to SAPS to assist in general safety roadblocks.
8. Provide members and the greater community with security reports monthly with statistics about crime and other incidents that occurred in Pennington.
9. Provide safety advice and tips to Pennington residents to improve the safety of their properties based on information and technologies that become available.
10. Offer general assistance to the greater PCW community within our scope, reach and capabilities, which may include factors that go beyond direct security but rather impact the safety and accessibility of the community at large.

 

2. Services that fall outside of the scope of the PCW

 

1. We are not a security agency or company: We do not offer home monitoring, in-home security, or ad-hoc services like security guards. Home and business owners are encouraged to provide security guards or implement security measures within their own properties. The PCW is not a security company and although we offer patrolling and response within limited capacity, we encourage owners to make use of a dedicated security company and armed response to improve the security of your property and provide you with armed assistance when you need it.
2. We are not armed responders: Although certain patrollers and responders may be licensed to carry a firearm, we do not offer armed response due to the safety of our volunteer responders and the legality thereof.
3. We are not emergency services: Although our responders may attempt emergency medical assistance, this will be limited to the ability of the responder. In serious medical situations the PCW will request assistance from reputable emergency services, but all costs involved for this is for the account of the person requiring assistance.
4. We are not Police Officers: In cases where a crime has been committed (or in progress), our patrollers and responders cannot detain or arrest suspects. We will however request assistance from the South African Police Services in such an event.
5. We do not respond to nonsensical requests that fall outside of the scope of direct security of members. This includes getting involved with unneighborly disputes, request for assistance with finding pets (or their owners). Although we may attempt to help when a car has broken down, we do not repair or tow a vehicle.

 

3. Eligibility of Members

To join the Pennington Community Watch, members must either:

1. Own a property, including residential or commercial property or
2. Rent a property within Pennington either for residential or commercial purposes.

 

4. Membership and fees
   1. A membership fee of R200 per household is required to retain membership of the PCW.
   2. Membership fees are deducted pro-rata (thus the beginning of the month for the month).
   3. Membership fees can either be paid monthly or annually.
   4. Membership fees can be paid either through an automatic debit order instated by the PCW or via EFT
   5. Membership fees must be paid before the 7^th of each month. In the event of an unpaid debit order, members must arrange with the PCW to either make a manual payment or request for a double deduction the following month.

 

5. Debit Order Mandate information:
   1. The member authorizes PCW to issue and deliver payment instructions to their banker for collection against their bank account on condition that the sum of such payment instruction will never exceed my obligations as agreed in the agreement and commencing on the date referred to below and continuing until this authority and mandate is terminated by me giving notice in writing to PCW of not less than 30 ordinary calendar days and sent by email to the address as indicated below.
   2. PCW debit orders will be deducted on the 1^st working day of each month.
   3. In the further event that there are insufficient funds available in your nominated bank account you are hereby authorized to monitor your account and re-present the payment instruction for payment as soon as sufficient funds are available.
   4. The member understands that the withdrawals hereby authorized will be processed through a computerized system provided by the South African banks.
   5. The member understands that details of each withdrawal will be printed on my bank statement. Each transaction will contain a reference in the said payment instruction and should enable me to identify the agreement. A payment reference will be added to this form before the issuing of any payment instruction.
   6. The member acknowledges that you shall not be entitled to a refund of any amount which you have withdrawn whilst this authority is in force if such an amount was due at the time of payment.

 

6. Emergency WhatsApp Groups
   1. We operate emergency WhatsApp community channels where members and their households have access to a WhatsApp Group to report suspicious activity and request assistance.
   2. These groups are exclusively for reporting of emergency situations, and we allow no chatting, conversing, or making use of the group to hinder others, unless specifically informed by the PCW team.
   3. There are currently 2 PCW reporting groups, with members separated along the R102 (PCW1 emergencies are for those within PCW main town (Umdoni Side) and PCW2 emergencies for those who stay on the opposite side (Selborne side)
   4. Members will only be added to 1 group, unless you have properties on both sides of Pennington.
   5. Under no circumstances may members directly engage with other members in the groups, unless explicitly given permission to do so. Repeat offenders may have their membership terminated.
   6. PCW reserves the right to terminate membership of repeat offenders that attempt to disrupt the service (such as frequent chatting, sharing nonsensical information, photos and images) and slandering other members on the groups.

 

7. Cancellation of Memberships
   1. Members can request cancellation of their PCW membership by submitting a request via email to our secretary.
   2. Cancellation of membership must be given a 30 day notice to ensure no costs are deducted from your account outside of your requirements.

 

8. Disputes & Resolutions

The PCW, as with any organization, understands that disputes may occur during the day-to-day of our operations. Some disputes may be directly associated with a PCW member or some even towards the entire PCW organization, and we wish to address such disputes in a reasonable and ordinary fashion to ensure a healthy relationship with our community members. Should a PCW member have a dispute in relation to the PCW, we set out the following dispute resolution channel:

1. Disputes should be communicated to the PCW secretary or any committee member at the earliest convenience.
2. Disputes must be detailed, outlaying the problems, expectancies, and preferred resolution.
3. Based on the dispute, the member must allow the PCW to investigate said claims and allow for time to discuss the matter with all associated members of the PCW team.
4. In some instances, disputes may only be discussed at a monthly PCW committee meeting so feedback on such disputes will be given back to the requester in due time.
5. Not all dispute resolutions may be in favour of the complainant, but the PCW will do its utmost best to provide reasonable feedback to find a middle ground.
6. The PCW reserves the right to terminate the membership of any member who violates these terms and conditions or engages in misconduct.

 

9. Termination of Memberships

The PCW reserves the right to terminate membership of members who:

1. Engage in criminal activities or act in unlawful ways.
2. Engage in slander of the PCW, PCW members or PCW team members on social media.
3. Abuse the PCW emergency channels or attempts to use the PCW in regular events to enact abuse on other members.
4. Disrespect the rights, privacy, cultures, race or religion of other members when engaging on PCW managed channels such as our Facebook group, WhatsApp emergency groups or in public.
5. Deliberately avoids reporting safety or security incidents that may jeopardize the safety of our community or PCW team members.

 

10. Engagement with 3^rd parties
    1. PCW engages with various 3^rd parties such as security companies, South African Police Services, Emergency Medical Services, and other contractors that offer and manage projects operated by the PCW.
    2. During our engagement, the PCW may need to supply personal and, at times, sensitive information with such parties to request assistance or report crimes.

 

11. Warranty
    1. All PCW services offered by the PCW is done to the best of our abilities and capabilities, and the PCW offers no warranty on the operations or success of such activities, which includes:
       1. Time it may take to report or respond to reports.
       2. Engagement or success of capturing those committing a crime.

• Availability of platforms to report crimes.

1. Timeframe for response or feedback to those requesting response.
2. Availability of projects and services (such as guaranteeing the uptime of a surveillance camera or recorded footage).

1. PCW is not liable for any actions taken by members outside the scope of the community watch program. Members participate at their own risk.

 

12. Non-Discrimination Policy

 

1. PCW is committed to providing an inclusive environment and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected status.

 

13. Changes to Terms and Conditions
    1. The PCW may update these terms and conditions as needed. Members will be notified of any changes, and continued participation implies acceptance of the updated terms.

 

14. Privacy Policy

 

This privacy policy sets out how Pennington Community Watch uses and protects any information that you give Pennington Community Watch when you use this website.

 

Pennington Community Watch is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

 

Pennington Community Watch may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 30/04/2024.

 

What We Collect

We may collect the following information:

• Name and Surname
• Race
• Gender
• Age
• Marital Status
• Address – Postal and Residential
• Telephone number – Cell and Fixed Landline
• Contact Information including email address
• Demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests
• IP Address

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

 

• Internal record keeping.
• Provide information to relevant stakeholders.

 

15. Governing Law

These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes shall be resolved through arbitration in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

By participating as a member of the PCW, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these terms and conditions and agree to abide by them.