With the Cape Town Central City nighttime economy growing in leaps and bounds, the role that the Cape Town Central City Improvement District’s (CCID) night managers play provides an invaluable service at night.
With their posts having been introduced over five years ago as part of the CCID’s Safety and Security department, night managers Martinus “TJ” Jenkins and Gary Dyssel play crucial roles that see them walking the beat at night, working together with the CCID’s public safety officers (PSOs) and other law enforcement agencies. Together with these partners in an aim to secure the safety of the downtown at night, the night managers deal with issues such as aggressive begging, informal trading, traffic transgressions (such as vehicles parking illegally in St Georges Mall), criminality (such as ATM fraud and pickpocketing) and bylaw infringements (such as illegal dumping and littering).
They also engage with homeless people including children and assist by contacting the appropriate agencies where necessary. And they also work closely with the CCID’s own cleaning staff and monitor issues such as defective lights, water leaks and report to the relevant departments in the city.
Says Muneeb “Mo” Hendricks, manager of Safety & Security for the CCID: “Not many people are aware of the fact that when they go home after a day’s work in the Cape Town CBD, there are people who come streaming into town to work or play. And all this activity forms part of the growing nighttime economy, which is much bigger than just the entertainment sector.
“As the CCID, we recognise the value of the nighttime economy and its contribution towards our GDP. We initially started with one night manager but increased this to two to ensure that just like the daytime economy, the night economy also has support on all levels in terms of safety as well as from an urban and social management perspective. There are, for example, call centres that close late at night as well as growing numbers of offices and other employers that have staff working around the clock. We also have a growing residential community that move around the Central City at night. These individuals all need to feel safe when they’re in the CBD, and our night managers play an important role in this regard.
Originally from Mpumalanga, TJ started his career as a member of the South African Police Service before entering the private security industry where he held various management roles. With close to 20 years’ experience in security, operations and personnel management, he joined the CCID in 2014. Gary, who joined in 2015, has been involved in security for more than 20 years, and having worked his way from the ground up to management, he has honed his knowledge and expertise in all aspects of the industry.
Both TJ and Gary say they enjoy being a part of something as vibrant as the Central City’s nighttime economy, and enjoy interacting with business owners in the CBD and assisting members of the public from all walks of life to ensure they’re safe.
Says TJ: “It’s often said that at the heart of every great town or city is a great nighttime economy. And here in the Cape Town CBD, the nighttime economy is growing and it’s always wonderful to be a part of something that’s on an upward trend and to be able to make a meaningful difference.”
Gary agrees, adding: “When working at night, you become more alert to what’s happening around you; you learn to read situations, and this helps in preventing incidents of crime. I’ve also personally learnt a lot about the CBD through observing, talking to business owners as well as many of the individuals living on the street – some of them have been here for years and you’d be surprised by their knowledge of the CBD.”
Mo further adds: “When I look at the enormous work our night managers do in collaboration with our safety partners, it’s hard to imagine that years ago these roles weren’t fulltime. And in fulfilling their function as night managers, TJ and Gary don’t just represent the CCID in terms of safety. While they’re out there at night, they also act as representatives for our other three operational divisions (Urban Management, Social Development and Communications). They do an incredible job under often difficult circumstances and I know my assistant manager, Alec van de Rheede, will agree with me wholeheartedly when I say we’re extremely proud of the work they do and their commitment.”
Images by Ed Suter