Excellent teamwork between HPP CCTV Operators and patrollers led to the arrest of two suspected poachers in Hermanus recently.

“The CCTV camera operators that are part of the Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) team noticed suspicious activity on Sandbaai beach. The operators are connected to patrolling armed response officers and Neighbourhood Watch members, from the control room, which is located across the road from our office,” says Marius Boshoff, Hermanus branch manager for Fidelity ADT.

The operators, he explains, saw the two men walking along the coastal path towards a house on Marine Drive. It then seemed that something gave them a fright and they quickly changed direction, which further raised the suspicion of the operators.

“The CCTV operators alerted Fidelity ADT armed response officers as well as the local Neighbourhood Watch and gave them a description of where the two men were last seen. They were tracked down hiding in bushes, and bags in their possession were searched and discovered to be containing abalone as well as diving gear,” says Boshoff.

The suspects were handed over into the custody of Hermanus police and the diving gear and abalone was confiscated.

“I would like to congratulate everyone involved for their efforts and especially commend HPP’s CCTV operators for their alertness. These criminal acts are unacceptable and we need to take action to prevent these perpetrators from such illegal activities. It is encouraging to see how our teams have been hard at work throughout the year. I wish them well as they continue their important work for everyone that lives and works in, or even visits our beautiful town,” says Boshoff.