Date posted: January 23, 2018

Dear Neighbours

Crime Update

Unfortunately the year has started with a further upsurge of incidents typical of what we were experiencing in the latter part of last year, in terms of both break-ins and beach muggings.

We are aware of a burglary in Beach Rd on 2 January, one burglary and at least one attempt to enter another house on Mountain Rd in the early hours of 9 January, whilst on the morning of 17 Jan televisions and other goods were stolen from houses in Beach and Hurter Rd, whilst we are aware of at least four other properties that had intruders on the same night, without property being stolen.

On both 6 and 17 January our Response team came out, as did others when the alarm was raised, which was reasonably quickly in both cases, yet the perpetrators managed to elude detection.

Evidence from tracks left after the latter incident would suggest there were at least three perpetrators, who have again used the modus operandi that we were familiar with from last year. This involves moving through the area by passing through properties, the skilful evasion of alarm systems and entry into houses by removing of window panes, with the theft of objects from houses whilst both people and their dogs have remained asleep.

Although we are clearly facing a gang of very sophisticated robbers, we are steadily learning more about their methods and our best hope of stopping or deterring them, will depend on as many of us as possible, acting in concert: 

• As they attempt multiple break-ins on the same night, it is critical that the alarm is raised with as much response as possible as soon as there has been any evidence that there has been an intruder robbery on your property.


• It is vital that, in addition to responders, everyone in the vicinity of a break-in turns their lights on and checks their properties for intruders.


• Response team members will be deployed to pre-arranged positions and then moved to attempt to cut off escape routes from where the incident is reported, we will also be deploying a vehicle with a mounted heat-detection camera that will assist in searching dark and bushy area and addition all members of our K9 team will attempt to track the burglars from the site of the incident.


• For the dog tracking to work it is important that anything that was potentially touched by the burglars is left un-touched so the scent can be picked up, so please be careful to preserves the sites of break ins, and anything that is found in the immediate area, un-touched until the dogs arrive.


• It is similarly helpful to preserve any footprints as these can be used for tracking and for later evidence. 


• Help may also be needed to check surrounding bushy areas and building sites but please do not do this without support!


• We thus encourage as many members as possible to please sleep with your radios on, out of the charging cradle and on channel 8 and we of course appeal to everyone who does not have a radio, to get one! 


• It is also important that everyone remains highly vigilant for people who may be surveying properties and to bring them to the attention of our ADT officers, as well as to record details such as vehicle registration numbers.


• We strongly suspect that stolen goods are hidden in the area and removed at a later point, so we would be grateful if everyone can keep a lookout for vehicles that may be removing stolen goods from the area and to look through areas where they may be hidden during safer, daytime hours.


• If you haven’t done so already, please do review your alarm systems and consider putting additional measures in place.    

House Invasion

We are also aware of a house invasion, just outside of our area at approximately the same time as the incidents in Mountain Rd, and although both the timing and the modus operandi of this incident would point to different perpetrators we can expect more of the same in future in the area too.

Beach Incidents

With regard to Beach incidents, there was a further knife attack near the Kakapo wreck on the evening of 9 January. As per our communications on this matter we have continued to engage with the members of Komwatch and with representatives of SAPS, SANParks, the City and the Province.

We are extremely grateful for the excellent response to our appeal for funding assistance and some of this has immediately gone to support Komwatch in funding additional security on the Beach, which has been supplied by Fidelity-ADT. This has paid for the presence of trained personnel on the beach for sunrise to sunset for an initial period of one month and we will look at extending this, if necessary.

Thus far the team has successfully assisted with the arrest of one armed robber (although he is not thought to be one of the principal perpetrators), the apprehension of three other possible suspects and in preventing at least one further incident.

We are pleased to report that there is now a far more comprehensive response to the incidents from all the parties involved and we are also looking at some options for more sustainable solutions in the longer run, which may also require funding, so any further donations will be greatly appreciated. Our banking details are as follows:

• Chapman’s Peak Neighbourhood Watch; Standard Bank; Fish Hoek; Account Number 27-036-443-9  - please specify that it is for responding to Beach attacks in the notification

Appeal

As a committee we have been concerned at what seems to be a growing trend of rumour-mongering on social media, accompanied by increasingly alarmist and aggressive levels of discourse and behaviour.

This includes threats of vigilante actions, more than one incident where weapons have been (illegally) displayed on the beach and the spreading of false information that not only raises anxieties further but undermines what measures we are able to take.

With the deterioration in the economy bringing with it a range of social ills and the arrival of Day Zero now a certainty, we would appeal to everyone to try to do everything possible to pull together in the best way possible.

This includes doing what we can to instil a measure of calmness in our responses and to avoid statements and actions that in any way could seem to be inflammatory or offensive. No matter how angry we feel about the various failures in leadership and governance that may have led us to this point, this is the time to be devoting all of our energies towards developing solutions and working in a united way towards achieving these.

The Water Crisis - Community Response

As Day Zero approaches, we encourage community members to find practical ways to help one another.  For example, we can use the Community Connector WhatsApp groups to discuss ways of saving water. 

If there are elderly people in your street, consider offering to lend them a helping hand.  Share useful information – the South Peninsula Water Facebook page is a great resource for this. 

We can and will overcome the challenges that lie ahead of us!

The CPNW Committee.