A bicycle thief was apprehended on Wednesday, 31 March following the quick response and intervention from the Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) team. HPP is a ratepayer funded initiative in partnership with Fidelity ADT.
“Our CCTV operators spotted suspicious activity at around 03:30 am in the morning after witnessing a suspect walking from Mount Pleasant, entering the North Cliff area via Duiker Street. Given the time of the morning and the fact that the suspect was breaking the lockdown curfew regulations, our team responded immediately,” says Fidelity ADT’s branch manager for Hermanus, Marius Boshoff.
The HPP operators dispatched Specialised Response Unit (SRU) members Sam Mofokeng and Marcell Brits to investigate the suspect’s whereabouts and his reasoning for being in the area. After the team was dispatched, the suspect made his reappearance on the camera network, this time in possession of what appeared to be a stolen bicycle.
“Our CCTV operators serve as the eyes and ears of our Hermanus community, and are well trained to look out for anything out of the ordinary. These operators work from our Hermanus control room and are available to track criminal behavior around the clock. They work closely with our resources on the ground,” says Boshoff.
The suspect continued to ride the stolen suspected bicycle towards the old reservoir in Mountain Drive, and this is where officers Mofokeng and Brits managed to corner and stop him. The suspect tried to evade apprehension, but this was not successful. Despite the physical altercation that followed, the suspect was detained and handed over into police custody.
“It was later confirmed that the suspect was in fact in possession of a stolen bicycle, and that it had been the second bicycle stolen from the same premises that evening. I would like to commend our team for their efforts and for the commitment shown during the incident,” Boshoff added.
He also highlighted the importance of keeping items such as bicycles and other outdoor items locked and secured.
“Outdoor items such as bicycles, tools, beach items or active gear can be targeted by opportunistic criminals and hence need to be kept safe behind closed doors. It is important to secure outdoor buildings or houses such as sheds as well as other areas like your garage,” says Boshoff.
Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) is a non-profit company (NPC), established to provide public safety and top-up cleansing services in a geographical designated area of Hermanus, Western Cape. It is funded by the ratepayers through the Overstrand Municipality Special Rating Area By-law and Policy. Visit https://hpp.org.za/ for more info.
