The team of public safety ambassadors

The City gave the go ahead to the Randburg Management District (RBMD) in October 2004, and the organisation was officially launched in April 2005. Since then, the RBMD has worked at giving the suburb a facelift and has organised regular safety and security patrols and community awareness projects such as emergency management services and first aid programmes.

A section 21 company, the RBMD acts on behalf of the business and property owners within the district's geographic boundary - bordered by Bram Fischer Drive, Dover Street, Kent Avenue and Selkirk Avenue.

The company "aims to protect the general amenities within the public space and prevent urban decay through its safety and cleanliness initiatives", says Neil Madsen-Leibold, the RBMD's chairperson.

This initiative will turn Randburg into an attractive and vibrant area. It will improve its capacity as a public transport node and a centre for small businesses, according to Madsen-Leibold.

"The RBMD is working to alter the perception of Randburg as a dirty and unsafe place to that of a pleasant working, shopping and living space."

This management district is run by Kagiso Urban Management, which also runs the Sandton Central and Rosebank management districts. A management district is an area in which property owners pay for services to improve public space. These services supplement those provided by the council. They include cleaning and maintenance.

Since the beginning of the Randburg upgrades, office and retail space in Randburg Square has been let to full capacity, the land value has increased by 400 percent, relations with the Randburg Police, ward councillors, and all council utilities and departments have been established. Other projects include landscaping and joint operations with law enforcement authorities.

Crime prevention
To ensure safety, the RBMD has established a team of 20 public safety ambassadors, or PSAs, who are trained to provide security, attend to crime alerts, manage informal traders and attend to council utility problems.

"In addition to this, the RBMD has a caravan operating in Hill Street along Pretoria Street on a 24-hour standby basis and includes a control office for the area's PSAs," Madsen-Leibold explains.

There are "18 PSAs on day duty with a full-time armed supervisor and response vehicle".

These safety ambassadors work day and night shifts, patrolling on bicycles, in vehicles or on foot. They also help to create awareness about issues such as locking car doors, not leaving valuables in sight and how the public can alert them.

Cleaning and maintenance
A team of 20 people has been employed to clean public space seven days a week. The cleaners are responsible for picking up litter, removing graffiti and illegal posters, cutting the grass and removing rubbish.

Not only do they maintain the status of the area, but they also work to improve it. And they are responsible for the weekly up keeping of the landscape at Hill Street Mall.

The RBMD is still growing; this is clear when its strengths and weaknesses are considered. The area has a good public transport system; the taxi rank is well organised and effective; business property prices are reasonable; and there is a lot of free parking. This is all according to the organisation's 2008 annual report.

However, it also points out lingering challenges, which include security and safety, hawkers, lack of entertainment facilities, and congestion and crowding during peak shopping periods.