Stolen building materials with an estimated value of R15 000 were recovered this week, after two suspects were located with these items.

“Two members of the Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) team reported seeing two women walking along a cliff pathway towards the Rietfontein Bridge just after 10am on Monday morning (25 January 2021). They were reportedly carrying a large and heavy bag with them,” says Marius Boshoff, Hermanus branch manager for Fidelity ADT.  HPP is a ratepayer funded initiative, in partnership with Fidelity ADT.

Another HPP officer stopped the women and asked to search the bag, which led to the discovery of a large quantity of tools and building material items.

“The women were questioned and they claimed that an unknown person in Zwelihle had asked that they collect the bag where it was hidden in bushes. The manager of a nearby building site however later confirmed that the items were his and that they had been stolen,” says Boshoff.

The women were taken into custody on a charge of housebreaking and theft.

Meanwhile in other incidents, HPP camera operators helped police and local security partners apprehend three suspects in connection with the alleged flouting of curfew regulations.

“The CCTV operators noticed a group of men walking from the New Harbour, early on Friday morning (22 January 2021 at around 00h04) carrying small bags with them. Operators alerted the Hermanus SAPS, the HPP specialized response units along with members of the Hermanus Neighbourhood Watch,” explains Boshoff.

“When the group saw the approaching responding teams, they scattered and fled, but three of the suspects were successfully detained. They were taken to the police station and issued with fines for contravening disaster management regulations.”

In a separate incident, CCTV operators also helped in the recovery of suspected stolen goods in North Cliff.

“Operators dispatched the HPP specialized response unit when they noticed three men pushing a trolley along Disa Street early on Thursday morning (21 January 2021 at around 07h11). The group was stopped, and the trolley was searched, which led to the discovery of two large wooden poles which still appeared to be in a good condition,” says Boshoff.

The suspects showed the officer where they had allegedly found the poles, but a neighbour disagreed with their explanation and assured the officer that their explanation was not plausible.

“Our officer instructed the suspects to put the poles back where they found them, and then escorted the men out of the area. No formal charge was laid against them,” says Boshoff.