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Camps Bay crime initiative is reaping rewards

Camps Bay was on top of crime in 2010, said Camps Bay Watch (CBW) chairperson Ian Merrington. Addressing residents during the annual general meeting on Wednesday February 16, Mr Merrington said last year was “ quite easy” and “a pleasurable” year after the spate of crimes they faced in 2009. “If one looks at the lifestyle and quality of the results, we can really pat ourselves on the back for being efficient,” he said.

CBW has 316 patrollers, 24 Civilian Emergency Response Team (CERT) members and 1 016 voluntary levy contributors to Camps Bay Community Security Initiative (CBCSI). Mr Merrington said the successful running of CBCSI for a year cost R2.2m, based on voluntary levy income. The CBCSI is an additional layer of security, which started when the spate of crimes plagued Camps Bay. Residents in the area contribute a voluntary levy to their armed response companies ADT and Bay Response, which goes to the costs for the CBCSI. The two armed response companies then provide extra resources in the form of the CBCSI, which is headed by Bernard Schäfer.

At the AGM residents voted to approve the 5% increase of the top-up fee to R198 from May. This levy is in addition to the monthly fee for the armed response companies. CBW also has its own state-of-the-art control room in the area, which is linked to all the crime-fighting and emergency agencies, from the Camps Bay police to the National Sea Rescue Institute and the Camps Bay Medics. They are also in touch with the nearby neighbourhood watches in case there are fleeing suspects. “Members of the community mobilised; the direct result was a dramatic decrease in crime and the arrest of individuals and gangs who had constantly perpetrated crimes in Camps Bay,” said Mr Merrington. Mr Schäfer said in the past Camps Bay house break-in cases peaked at 120 cases, but has dropped to 10 cases a month. He said the four categories of crime experienced in the area included theft out of houses; break-ins, where force was used; house robbery, where the suspects engaged with the residents, and house-jacking or invasion, where the suspects forced the residents to access their property. “There is no doubt in my mind that the radical difference in the stats decreasing did not come about by chance, but due to the dedication of staff and the community,” he said.

During the AGM Camps Bay resident Noleen Knott, who was attacked in her home during a spate of house robberies two years ago, thanked the community, CBW and the police for their support. The case was now at the Cape High Court, where she and her husband David were testifying against the suspects, dubbed the Momadi gang. “Giving accurate testimony requires one to dig deep into your memory and relive an unpleasant experience that one would much rather forget,” she said. On the other hand, Mrs Knott said, she considered herself and her husband “the lucky ones” because the suspects were caught and the court proceedings were going ahead. Mrs Knott said they were part of the CBW at the time of the incident and encouraged people to join. “It makes me realise how important it is in a community to get involved and do your share rather than look the other way and expect others to carry the load,” said Mrs Knott. She challenged residents to “do their bit” in keeping the families of Camps Bay safe. “Our attack was not due to carelessness or a lack of security. It can happen to anyone and that person could be you,” she said.

Vice-chairperson Simon Kneel thanked Mrs Knott for her bravery in sharing her testimony at the high court. Mr Merrington said one of CBW’s highlights was that they made applications to deny the Momadi gang bail because of flight risks, which gave the witnesses courage to testify. Mr Merrington said CBW worked well with the other community and government bodies such as Camps Bay police, Metro police, Law Enforcement and the police specialised units.
CBW has also established Sector, which covers patrols for Clifton. Mr Schäfer said among the goals for this year was to increase the awareness of CBCSI because many were still “in the dark” about its role. He said they were also looking at new resources such as an extra TACT unit if the funding was available. He encouraged residents to use the control room number 021 438 2000 to log emergencies, to get a quicker response time. Mr Schäfer said while the measures were in place, the community also had a part to play. He said in some cases, crime did not “happen by chance” because people were still leaving their valuables on car seats. “To a large degree, some are still slack.”

This article applies to: Middle, Rontree 1, Rontree 2, Glen, Bakoven, Village, Clifton, CPF