Home Invasion – De Goede Hoop
Date posted: June 2, 2022
Dear Neighbours,
Security Alert
We have been informed of another home invasion in De Goede hoop Estate last night. We understand the invasion took place shortly after midnight, after the perpetrators had dug under the fence high up on the mountain.
Possibility of Repeated Incidents
This is on the heels of an invasion that took place in Mountain Rd last month, as mentioned in our newsletter, sent out on May 26 and posted on the website with some details of what we have established about the current modus operandi of the gang or gangs involved in this kind of activity. Although the invasions do not seem to target one area repeatedly at one time, it is evident that vulnerable targets are identified over time and areas re-visited repeatedly.
So, it is likely that there will be future attempts in our area, with houses on the boundaries of our area and particularly the Chapmans Peak Boundary being particularly vulnerable.
Precautions
Although these gangs do seem adept at getting through fences and in exploiting opportunities, having a combination of measures is not only more effective, but also acts as a deterrent.
- Ensure that outside sensors are activated as early as possible in the evening and consider installing these if you do not have them.
- Make sure radios are working and that family members know how to use these and know how to raise the alarm if an invasion is taking place.
- Most importantly, please communicate with your neighbours about how to make your area safer and any time you see or hear something suspicious, check it out!
If you are unsure, a simple WhatsApp on your Community Connectors group is quite a good idea, as is a call to your security company to request a patrol in the area.
WhatsApp Connector Groups
The Connector Groups (for those who don’t know!) are for small areas (e.g. a street) and allow neighbours to contact each other rapidly. Not only great for security, they also work well for other communication and encourage general good-neighbourliness.
If you’re not on a group, contact Lynne Hogan on 072 905 4676 and she’ll tell you where your nearest one is and how to start one if there isn’t one in your street.
The more we create an atmosphere of solidarity and vigilance in our area, the safer we will be!
CPNW Committee
Alert – Crime Incidents in the Chapman’s Peak Area
Date posted: December 9, 2021
Dear Neighbours,
As you probably know, while Chapman’s Peak has been relatively crime-free for a long period. The same has not been true of the surrounding areas, and sadly it appears that our run may have come to an end.
Incidents
Monday 29th November – approximately 21h00
A house was burgled in Wattle Road whilst the residents were visiting neighbours.
Two laptops and two jackets were taken. The burglars were disturbed by the returning residents and fled.
This perpetrators are assumed to have been bin-pickers/vagrants because of evidence left behind. Amongst the things left behind was a purse belonging to a resident in Francisca Lane. The purse was returned to its owner who had left it on a table whilst visiting a neighbour earlier on in the day.
Both of these incidents appear to have been opportunistic, and in both cases the properties were not fully secured.
Thursday 9th December – approximately 21h00
Residents in a house in Mountain Road were finishing supper when they were disturbed by a noise.
They found three men entering their house via a side door. All three were wearing balaclavas. The residents immediately set off the panic button and the robbers fled with a phone and a handbag. It was reported that one of the men may have been armed.
ADT searched the area and SAPS attended.
At about 23h00 the same night, five men with balaclavas entered a house in de Goedehoop estate. At least one of them was armed. Full details are not available but the robbers reportedly got away with firearms, cash and jewellery.
Foot prints found by security companies seem to indicate that they left by foot via the western side of the estate.
Going by descriptions, it seems that the Mountain Road and the de Goedehoop incidents may well have been the same perpetrators.
Precautions
Our quiet period has come to an end. We urge all residents to raise their level of awareness.
- Make sure your security systems are in working condition and armed whenever they can be.
- Call your security company if you notice anything strange.
- Make sure your radio is charged and accessible.
Stay safe and alert!
CPNW Committee
Warning – Crime Incidents
Date posted: November 5, 2020
Dear Neighbours,
Further to our newsletter, we received reports of a break-in in Willoughby Rd and the theft of gas bottles in Dunedin Rd, in the early hours of Friday morning, 30 October. We note that Thursday nights and Friday mornings do trend to be associated with higher levels of crime, which we suspect is due to unsavoury elements suing the activity of “bin pickers” as cover.
For this reason and in order to prevent the significant mess that is created when bins are knocked over (whether this is due to the wind, or to animal or human activity) we would encourage residents to refrain from putting bins out the night before collection and/or to invest in a bin gravity lock that prevents the lid from being opened but still allows it to be tipped into the truck. See www.binguard.co.za for details.
Home Invasions
We have also been notified of a number of recent house invasions in surrounding areas, particularly in properties adjacent to the mountain or bushy areas. So please make sure your alarms and particularly perimeter sensors are in working order and your radio is charged and on! If you do have any concerns about suspicious activity, or even noises in the night, please do alert your security company and ask that the patrol vehicle makes an inspection!
Stay safe!
The CPNW Committee
Armed robbery at Kakapo
Date posted: February 7, 2020
We have been informed that there was an armed robbery close to the Kakapo wreck earlier this week.
Very few details are available yet, just that the victims were foreign tourists and that the incident was only reported to SAP’s today but occurred on ether Monday or Tuesday. No one was injured.
If you have to walk that far, please take care when in the vicinity of the Kakapo and the large dunes on that side of the beach. Avoid for now if at all possible.
SAPs and Sanparks are aware of the incident.
Do not carry cash or other valuables
Walk in groups
If confronted, do not resist.
Fishhoek SAPS:
021 784 2700
082 522 2053
Ocean View SAPS:
021 783 8308
Important Update and Joint Statement regarding Noordhoek Beach
Date posted: March 2, 2018
Dear Neighbours,
Important Update and Statement regarding the Beach
Beach Safety Fundraising
We are most grateful to everyone who has contributed to the Beach Safety fundraising drive. This has, thus far enable us, in collaboration with Komwatch, to fund the placement of two ADT/Fidelity Tactical Response Team members to be deployed at the beach for a two-month period which will end on 8 March.
We do still have some funds remaining from the donations and we will pledge to use this specifically for Beach Safety, as was intended by the donors. We are considering a range of strategies and we will keep you posted in this respect. Although incidents on the beach have persisted, we do believe that the money spent on this initiative was justified, sadly however, we have not been successful in developing the kind of coordinated response we had hoped for, as will be outlined in the joint statement that follows.
We have now received news that ADT/Fidelity have made a fresh team available to us so we will be able to continue this initiative and we will continue to press for better collaboration with SANParks and SAPS.
Beach Walk to the Kakapo Wreck – Sunday 4 March
We would also urge everyone to support a walk to the Kakapo wreck and back, from the Noordhoek parking area, on Sunday 4 March at 06:30 for 7. The walk is being organised by Safe South Hikes and #TBOM Take Back Our Mountains and will be supported by SANPARKS, SAPS, Law Enforcement, Fidelity-ADT and YMA.
Joint Statement
The joint statement is as follows:
For the past two months Chapmans Peak NHW and Kommetjie NHW have attempted to engage with SAPS and SANParks to develop a strategy to curtail the brutal attacks perpetrated on mostly foreign tourists and occasionally domestic tourists on Noordhoek beach.
As a stopgap measure, Fidelity Security Services Tactical Team were contracted to assist in protecting beachgoers. One may reasonably query why attacks still occurred whilst the tactical team were on duty.
The first attack on Kommetjie residents occurred on 10 January 2018. On this day, SANParks had ordered the Fidelity tactical team off the beach until they had arranged permission for the Fidelity Team to be armed whilst patrolling. Despite NHW members specifically requesting whether SANParks would be on the beach patrolling, SANParks refused to comment. An armed robbery occurred that day.
The remaining two attacks on 2 February 2018 and 17 February 2018 occurred whilst the Fidelity Tactical Team were not on the beach. These attacks both occurred shortly before, or around 08:00.
SAPS Fish Hoek were setup as the Incident Command for the Noordhoek beach attacks, with all cases transferred to a single detective to ensure all information was collated. NHW attended weekly meetings with SAPS and SANParks.
At the first meeting, SANParks assured NHW that they would be on the beach patrolling from 07:00 – 19:00 every day. This has not happened, with teams leaving the beach sometimes in the early afternoon, or arriving later in the morning
From the first meetings, it was requested that SAPS institute a member in charge of incident control. This has not happened. The incident which occurred on 17th February was dealt with poorly by law enforcement agencies. The crime scene was not protected by the first law enforcement agency on scene, SANParks, resulting in crucial evidence going missing temporarily, and evidence being contaminated which potentially weakens the case and any chance of a conviction. Despite requests from NHW, no SAPS helicopter was dispatched.
From the outset, NHW have requested that adequate radio communications be setup with SANParks, Fidelity and NHW. Unfortunately, SANParks refused to provide Fidelity or NHW with one of their radios, as the paperwork was too onerous. Therefore NHW provided SANParks with a single radio with messages having to be relayed due to short range of the radios. SANParks frequently did not have the radio charged, or did not answer calls via the radio making communication during patrols very difficult.
SANParks members are frequently reported sitting under a bush for hours at a time, with limited visibility of the Kakapo wreck and the surrounding beach where attacks have taken place. On more than one occasion, Fidelity and NHW tracked persons of interest, stopped potential incidents, and on occasion, SAPS responded to identify individuals. This all occurred whilst SANParks members remained under their observation bush. It has now been learned that the Fidelity Tactical team engaged with two persons of interest who matched the descriptions of wanted individuals for an attack on the beach in November. The individuals were seen approaching five walkers on the beach when Fidelity intervened. This occurred whilst SANPARKS rangers were present in the area, but made no attempt to actively patrol or assist. Unfortunately relevant identikits were not shown to NHW and Fidelity timeously therefore the individuals were not known to be of interest at the time.
The Fidelity Team tracked a number of persons of interest, however SANParks refused to provide information on potential suspects and previously apprehended individuals thereby making the Fidelity team job that more difficult and dangerous. This information has still not been shared with NHW or Fidelity.
NHW met with SANParks management who promised to develop a community plan which has worked well in other areas. Again, this has not been shared with NHW despite requests.
Finally, weekly meetings setup by Fish Hoek SAPS in order to develop weekly strategies to curb these attacks at Noordhoek, and to provide updates on investigations have been poorly attended by both SANParks and SAPS, to the point where the meetings have now been abandoned.
It is clear from our engagement with SAPS and SANParks that currently there is no plan, or willingness, to prevent further attacks on the beach. These attacks are brutal in nature and seemingly designed to maximise harm for very little gain.
Therefore, until there is a sustainable measured engagement with SANParks and SAPS, Noordhoek beach should be considered an extremely dangerous place to visit and it is our advice that no one should go there.
Chapman’s Peak and Kommetjie Neighbourhood Watches
Sanparks Hut at Noordhoek Beach
Date posted: December 29, 2017
SAPs have arranged with Sanparks to open the hut at the Noordhoek beach parking area over the long weekend. There will be a Sanparks ranger there at all times between 07H00 and 19H00. The idea is that this will serve as a incident room for this period.
So please use this facility to report any incidents that may occur.
They have also asked that if any patrolers/walkers are going down for a long walk on the beach, especially if they are walking to the Dunes area, that they report in to the Ranger, tell the Ranger where they are going and to make sure that they have contact details for the person in the Hut.
Scooter involved in Burglary
Date posted: December 15, 2017
This scooter is suspected of being involved in a burglary in San Michel.
Please notify CPNW or SAPS if spotted.
Warning – Attacks on Noordhoek Beach
Date posted: December 4, 2017
It is with enormous sadness and anger that we have to issue another alert regarding the muggings that have taken place recently on our beloved beach.
On Wednesday 29th November, an elderly man on his own was walking near the Kakapo Wreck when he was robbed by two men described as African, with short hair wielding 30cm knives and dressed in dark clothes. The beach was deserted at the time and it was very windy. The victim was unhurt in this case.
On Thursday 30th November, an elderly couple were walking from their guest house in Kommetjie towards Noordhoek and had passed the Kakapo Wreck when they were attacked by a man and stabbed numerous times. They were assisted by passers by and are in hospital.
Also on Thursday, as previously reported, a group of four tourists was robbed near the Kakapo Wreck by a single man armed with a panga.
Yesterday, Sunday, at around 3pm, a young woman was attacked about 1km south of the boardwalk on the Noordhoek end of the beach. Two men appeared out of the dunes and attacked her dog with sticks and took her backpack.
Appeal: please warn your guests
It appears that in a number of these cases, the victims were tourists staying in guest houses in the area who had no idea about the issue of crime on the beach. The signs on the Noordhoek end of the beach are faded and it appears that there are no signs at all on the Kommetjie end of the beach.
If you have guests staying with you, PLEASE WARN THEM to take care. Don’t take valuables to the beach, don’t go to the beach on your own.
Some Good News
It seems that one of the muggers has been arrested.
There are also numerous initiatives under way to increase security, both by Noordhoek residents as well as SANParks who is responsible for the beach.
If in any doubt, call:
- SAN Parks Noordhoek Beach: 021 789 2404
- If you’re closer to Kommetjie, call KomWatch neighbourhood watch: 082 327 7783
- If you’re on the Noordhoek end of the beach, call the ADT vehicle on: 078 456 9398
Suggestion: put these numbers onto your mobile phone…
Warning – Muggings at the Kakapo Wreck
Date posted: December 1, 2017
Once again there has been a mugging at the Kakapo Wreck at the Kommetjie end of Long Beach.
Four tourists staying at Klein Slangkop walked to the wreck along the beach at about 1pm and were robbed by a man armed with a panga. They were not hurt.
The man was described as:
- African male, dark complexion
- Aged approx 25
- Tall
- Red shorts, grey t-shirt, blue peak
Witnesses say that he had been in the area since 9am.
Be aware that most of the muggings have taken place during the day on weekdays when there are fewer people on the beach.
If in any doubt, call the KomWatch neighbourhood watch on: 082 327 7783
If you’re on the Noordhoek end of the beach, call the ADT vehicle on: 078 456 9398
Suggestion: put both these numbers onto your mobile phone…
Wanted by SAPS
Date posted: June 15, 2017
Please contact SAPS on the numbers provided if you see this man.