Worried residents hire private security for 'regular' patrols of affluent suburb
The owner of the security company said the services offer 'peace of mind' to residents.
An increase in house break-ins and car theft in one of the country's most affluent suburbs has forced some residents to take matters into their own hands and hire private security for "peace of mind" while they sleep.
After the rise in crime a group of Mosman residents on Sydney's North Shore approached Wrightway Security Services who initially offered a two-week free trial to see if their presence acted as a deterrent for criminals, with residents "chipping in" for the service ever since.
"It's a neighbourhood watch where we have a vehicle on the road patrolling the streets... it's more for deterrence and to let them know that someone's watching," owner Moe Said told Yahoo News.
Residents are able to contact the security guard directly if they want to report something while patrols occur overnight.
Security guard deters outsiders from 'loitering'
The security guard is unable to approach or interact with anyone suspected of criminal activity, unlike the police, but it is hoped their presence will continue to keep crime rates low, with no break-ins reported since December, Said declared.
"If they see any kind of suspicious activity or just people that are not from the area loitering around, residents can notify a security guard... touch wood but we haven't had any break-ins recently," he said.
Said would not confirm how many residents pay the $8 monthly subscription for the service.
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One of the residents who initially approached Wrightway said locals were "genuinely concerned about going to bed at night".
"I don’t want people roaming local streets in the middle of the night, looking for an opportunity to steal a car... having an extra pair of eyes and ears out on the street provides peace-of-mind while we sleep," the resident told the Mosman Collective in December, when the service commenced.
During the two-week trial a security guard patrolled overnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, however, patrols are now "random but regular".
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