ADT's 'no go' rule for risky areas

Private security company ADT's slogan is "Always there" but there are some places where it definitely won't be.

A newlywed Cape Town couple, who live in a Kraaifontein neighbourhood, were surprised when ADT told them that their home is in a high-risk area and the company could only monitor their home and not respond when their alarm is triggered.

"I had paid my deposit and was ready to go ahead when the area manager told me that I live in a 'red area'," the woman, who asked not to be named, said.

"The usual monthly subscription is R285. But they said I could pay R145 a month instead. Once my alarm goes off, ADT would contact the police instead of going out to the house. Who knows when the police will come out?"

When The Times contacted the ADT call centre, an agent said that other areas on the Cape Flats, including Mannenberg and Mitchell's Plain, are also considered high risk.

It is understood that certain areas in the east and west of Johannesburg have also been flagged as 'monitoring-only'.

Roy Rawlins, managing director of ADT central regions, confirmed that a "small percentage" of ADT's client base in Johannesburg and in the rest of the country is contracted on a monitoring-only basis.

"When signing a service agreement with ADT for a monitoring-only service, clients are made fully aware that this service does not include armed response", Rawlins said.