Excellent team work between armed response and local security teams in Hermanus made sure that four suspects were arrested in recent days, on charges relating to theft and also the possession of drugs and of suspected stolen items.

“The three unrelated incidents in which the four suspects were arrested, show the value of a coordinated effort between everyone involved in keeping our beautiful town safe. Together with the top notch technology that is in use across town, the people of Hermanus have every reason to be proud,” says Marius Boshoff, the town’s branch manager for Fidelity ADT.

The first incident, he says, was on Thursday 25 February 2021 when two suspects were arrested close to Eastcliff and charged with theft.

“It was just before 7am that morning that Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) received a call about two suspects running towards Hoys Koppie after they allegedly stole a gas bottle from a local store. HPP officers were deployed to respond, while the CCTV camera team tried to locate the two suspects in question. Despite the suspects trying their best to evade apprehension, they were soon tracked down by the camera operators and this information was used by officers to apprehend them. The suspects were handed over into the custody of Hermanus SAPS and charged with theft,” says Boshoff.

HPP is a ratepayer funded initiative in partnership with Fidelity ADT.

In the second incident (on Monday 22 February 2021), another suspect was arrested and charged with the possession of drugs and a dangerous weapon.

“The CCTV camera operators spotted the suspect pushing a bike down Church Street in Westcliff and alerted the HPP Special Response Unit and local Neighborhood Watch members to investigate. The suspect was asked for an explanation as to where he had found the bike, to which he replied that he was given the bike by a local resident. This story was later confirmed with the person in question, but the HPP officer and a SAPS officer who had joined the story by that point noticed the suspect’s demeanor became very suspicious. The frame of the bike was searched, which led to the discovery of tik and a large knife hidden inside,” says Boshoff.

The last incident, on Friday 19 February 2021, again saw the CCTV monitoring team giving assistance to their patrolling HPP colleagues.

“A Specialised Response Unit reported a suspicious person pushing a trolley in Westcliff just after 10am, and asked for CCTV monitoring backup when the person ran away on seeing the approaching patrol vehicle. The trolley and its contents were left behind. A coordinated effort eventually led to the discovery of the suspect where he was hiding behind a bush.

“The suspect was questioned on the contents found inside the trolley. A local general trader confirmed that the explanation – namely that the items had been bought from his shop – was not accurate, as the person was never inside the store. The suspect was taken into custody and charged with the possession of suspected stolen items,” says Boshoff.

“I am proud of everyone involved in these three arrests. These hard working men and women need the continued support of the public; please report any suspicious activity in your suburbs.”

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.