Date posted: June 17, 2026

Dear Neighbours,

Crime Update

There have been three further incidents, that we are aware of, in the period since the last car-jamming incident on 11 March, reported in the last newsletter (but happily, nothing further at the Beach Parking Area).

On the night of 2 April, a vehicle inside a property in Oranje Close was broken into through a side window that was forced open. Some small alarm batteries were stolen, and the bonnet was forced open in what appears to have been an unsuccessful attempt to remove the main battery.

A property on Dunedin Avenue seems to have experienced at least two opportunistic visits on 15 and 16 May. Both visits occurred during daylight hours, after storm damage to the property had left it exposed. A PlayStation and then an iPad were reported stolen. It was particularly concerning to note that the second incident seems to have occurred whilst at least one resident was on the property.

Later on the same day, what appears to have been a carefully targeted break-in took place at the Farm Village, in one of the houses on its northern boundary, the second on that property in two years. It was reported that alarm activations had occurred at 16h30, 17h00 and 21h00, and that armed response had attended the first activation but found the house empty. Two white Toyota Avanzas, with obscured registration plates, were noted to be in the area at the time. A significant number of high-value items were taken, including televisions, computers and a wide range of household items, with the perpetrators even attempting to remove a carpet. This area is well covered by cameras, and SAPS have requested access to footage.

Regular Pattern

Taken together, these incidents reflect the regular pattern of crime that we continue to face, a significant portion of it carried out by skilled professionals who are quick to capitalise on any opportunity. Sadly, this will always be something of an “arms race”, with at least the most effective criminals often ahead in the game.

Unfortunately, we all make mistakes, become a little careless, neglect to upgrade security systems and so forth, and we do not want to have to live in a state of constant vigilance, obsessive about our security.

This, we would argue, is precisely why it is so important to deal with these issues collectively. As much as we encourage everyone to be as careful as possible, our ability to live and act with freedom, rather than being driven by fear, becomes a product of how successfully we address these issues together.

This is something we believe we have been relatively successful at, reducing the average number of monthly incidents in the area from more than seven in 2007 to fewer than two per month since 2018. Equally importantly, we have helped foster a remarkably strong community, with the results evident in so many other aspects of our lives, from cleaner beaches and safer roads to better services, protected wild spaces and more sensitive development.

Connector Groups

And perhaps even more caring neighbours? We would like to think that, through our Community Connector groups, we are also helping to bring our neighbours together – thus our drive to develop as many such groups as possible, ideally involving smaller groups of “shouting distance” neighbours.

Aside from the obvious security benefits of knowing the neighbours around you, we have no doubt that it also promotes the collective sense of ownership that makes this neighbourhood so special. We also see our Connectors as an important way for us, as a Committee, to understand both crime concerns and the more general needs of our members.

We have therefore resolved to invite Connectors to participate in our committee meetings at least a few times each year, and it was great to meet 11 of the 35 Connectors we currently have in the area at our last Committee meeting on 8 June.

As we explained at the meeting, the original intention behind these groups is simply to get as many people in our neighbourhood connected to one another as possible. We therefore try to allow these groups to develop as organically as possible, with the only requirement from CPNW being that there is a coordinator who is connected to our Committee via two Committee Representatives (Lynne and Matt Coquillon).

Beyond that, we feel that small groups are best placed to make their own decisions about how they operate, with some of the first groups to develop not even using WhatsApp. At the meeting, we learned that some groups prefer a strict “safety issues only” policy, whilst others are happy to include a wider range of communications. However, everyone seemed clear that some limits are necessary if we want to ensure that people pay attention when it really matters.

Small Groups Better!

We also feel that this is one of the important reasons for having smaller groups of neighbours, rather than the larger groups – sometimes the size of entire streets – that currently exist. Smaller groups are less likely to carry irrelevant noise, tend to receive closer attention because they are “closer to home”, and are generally easier to manage.

Our goal is therefore to expand these groups even further, including more people in a greater number of groups. The call remains for more neighbours to come forward and volunteer as Connectors. Even if you are already part of a larger group, and have neighbours who are not, nothing stops you from being the Connector of another, smaller group, or even – except perhaps your capacity for screen time – from being in two groups.

This, of course, means getting involved, which comes with effort, time and commitment. We are mostly busy people, with jobs and families and a thousand things to do in this beautiful environment, so volunteering does not come easily.

Perhaps as a reaction to the volume of human contact we all face daily, we also tend to want to withdraw into our home spaces, with privacy being something we strongly value. The essence of being at home, however, is a sense of safety and tranquillity in the beautiful environment you have created. It simply takes recognising that this depends on the cooperation of your neighbours to understand that giving time and effort to connecting in this way should be something we do as naturally as tending our gardens.

Buzzer App

We would like to ensure that there is at least one dedicated emergency channel for our community to use. Although we have not completely discounted a dedicated emergency WhatsApp group, we believe that the Buzzer app can perform this function effectively, with the added benefit of alerting appropriate emergency services and geo-locating incidents.

So, we encourage everybody to sign up on the Buzzer app, which is free to use for everyone in Chapmans Peak, as CPNW pays a subscription fee to allow this benefit to our neighbours. We are aware that many residents had been put off using the app by a page demanding payment when the app is opened and we are currently in communication with Buzzer regarding whether this function can be removed from the app for those within the area.

Cape Talk

It was great hearing about Noordhoek and the very positive story of our community’s efforts to care for it, featured in the spotlight on Cape Talk’s Afternoon Drive show.

However, we felt that the crime situation in neighbourhoods, as well as on the beach and mountain in the greater Noordhoek area, was not accurately depicted, whilst undue attention was given to the often-amplified noise generated by a relatively small number of voices on social media.

To put the record straight: our data clearly shows a general improvement in safety in recent months and years, the recent spate of car-jamming incidents notwithstanding.

We also believe that credit should be given to everyone, not only in the Chapman’s Peak Area but also in all the Noordhoek Neighbourhood Watch Groups who have done a huge amount of work in making the area significantly safer.

Rules Rule!

In terms of concerns raised on social media, we first need to point out that the way democracies work is that we are all beholden to the same set of rules.

Representatives from both CPNW and the NRPA are engaging regularly with the City about the various traffic-related issues, and there are responses in the pipeline. Not all of these will please everybody, but we are convinced they will contribute to safer roads.

However, if we do not want others to speed, create excessive noise, park badly or drive under the influence on our roads, then we cannot expect a different standard for ourselves simply because we are local.

To the many who left abandoned cars in the Farm Village parking lot overnight: one of the advantages of local watering holes and safe neighbourhoods is that you can get there on foot!

Social Media Discussions

The number of voices on social media demanding “action” on particular issues, proposing alternative solutions, or occasionally calling for more radical responses does seem to be on the rise. As the (no doubt exhausted) administrators of these channels frequently point out, there are dedicated forums for expressing opinions and debating ideas without disrupting important communication channels or undermining the efforts of those who are actively involved in addressing these concerns.

Whilst the work of organised community groups can sometimes seem slow, it has repeatedly proven to be effective in Noordhoek. If we are serious about wanting things to improve, supporting and strengthening these groups remains one of the most constructive ways to do so. We therefore applaud and support the email campaign raising concerns about speeding and traffic noise, and we hope that residents will continue to record incidents on the Main Road in a coordinated and systematic manner.

Homeless Individuals

The presence of homeless individuals in the area is an issue that we have been working hard to address for some time, with limited success. This has included efforts to assist individuals in accessing shelter accommodation, support services and mental health resources, as well as practical assistance such as transport support where appropriate.

Whilst we do not believe that either of the two homeless men currently giving rise to concern has significant criminal intent, a considerable amount of litter has been left at some encampment sites, and the use of open fires presents a serious safety risk. At the same time, we must respect the rights and dignity of all individuals, and simply attempting to remove people from the area is neither appropriate nor a sustainable solution.

What we can do is respond appropriately when unlawful or unsafe behaviour occurs and make use of the channels available to address specific concerns. If individuals are harassing residents, peering into properties or entering private property, please contact your armed response company, report the incident and request assistance.

If you are aware of a location where individuals have been sleeping, please note the location as precisely as possible and report it to the appropriate authority:

• If the location is on municipal land, contact the Street People Programme Unit on 0800 872 201.


• If it is on public land and constitutes a clear encampment, contact the City Land Invasion Hotline on 021 480 7700.


• If it is on the beach or within Table Mountain National Park, contact Table Mountain National Park on 0861 106 417 or 021 480 7700.

By reporting concerns through the appropriate channels, we can help ensure that both community safety concerns and the needs of vulnerable individuals are addressed in a lawful and constructive manner.

In other positive news:

• We have this month signed a new MOU with The South Peninsula Branch of the Volunteer Wildfire Services, whom we accommodate at the NCC, that will see them making a significant contribution to the Centre’s upkeep in return, whilst of course adding significantly to our fire security.


• We have appointed a service provider to monitor and do maintenance work on our now very extensive camera network. This takes a significant load off the back of volunteers.


• We have embarked on a comprehensive overhaul of the equipment and set-up in our Control Room at the NCC that will make it far more reliable and effective.


• We are re-activating communications and deployment plans in our somewhat dormant Response Team, which has not been called out in over 2 years, so that we will steadily get into a better position to respond if needed.


• We have reached out to the Farm Village, and we will be looking to include them more comprehensively as part of CPNW in the future!


• We will be starting to attend to a long process of updating our membership databases – so please help us to identify who lives where!

Your Invitation

It was also great to have some new members taking us up on the open invitation to attend any meeting, so please remember that you are always welcome.

Although we have plenty of tasks that need to be shared and endless potential projects, please be assured that nobody is immediately hit with a plea for help. We prefer people to get a feel for how we work and then, hopefully, find somewhere to pitch in that suits both their interests and abilities.

Hoping that everyone has a warm and safe winter!

The CPNW Committee