Kowie Flats crime spike in spotlight

Residents, SAPS, security meet

Over the past few weeks, instances of burglaries and house robberies have left residents of the Kowie Flats, from Van der Riet Street to Biscay and from town to the river, concerned and angry.

The residents attended a meeting at the MyPond Hotel on Tuesday evening to discuss possible solutions. Chairing the meeting was Stenden South Africa executive dean Wouter Hensens, who welcomed representatives from the Port Alfred CPF, Multi/Atlas Security, Sky Alarms and the SAPS.

CPF chairperson Heather Leicher began by saying there were a number of regulations that needed to be followed if the residents wished to form a neighbourhood watch, but it was decided such a move would prove dangerous and it was therefore dismissed.

Leicher further pointed out that there were a number of WhatsApp groups already established where crime could be reported and that the security companies, as well as the SAPS, would be actioned.

However, there was some discussion about the posts on the WhatsApp groups, and that people were abusing this forum by posting spurious messages, whether by design or by accident.

Clinton Millard from Multi/Atlas Security said they responded to all calls made to them or on the WhatsApp groups.

Louis Oosthuizen from Sky Alarms said many of the posts, such as dogs barking excessively, simply required the person reporting it to see if there was not another animal on the road rather than a potential criminal.

“We get reports that dogs are barking in the area and, when we arrive, we find there is a cat walking down the road and that was what the dogs were barking at,” he said. “As security, our phones are on all the time, so we receive messages from the various WhatsApp groups throughout the day and the night.

“It is irritating and costs money when the phone rings in the night only to find out it was something that could have been fixed if the neighbour had just looked out of their window.”

It was said by those present that another problem with the WhatsApp groups was the number of “likes” or emoticons sent after an initial message.

“There is no need to like someone’s comment or to even say thank you, once reported, security companies respond, along with the SAPS,” agreed Leicher.

Hensens explained that so-called car guards also presented a problem.

While conceding that some of the more established car guards were legitimate, he specifically mentioned the problems car guards in Van der Riet

Street caused as they intimidated customers at the restaurants and at MyPond Hotel.

“We had an escalation where there were also knife fights between the guards,” he said.

His solution was to hire a private security guard to patrol the area but admitted that, while this prevented further incidents in Van der Riet Street, the perpetrators just moved to another area of town.

A show of hands indicated that of the 30 attendees, just four did not subscribe to a private security company.

“There’s the problem, they are getting in through properties that have no beams or alarms,” local resident Lynne Nettleton said.

The discussion continued and it was agreed that residents would start using the WhatsApp crime report groups to report crime or suspected criminal activity, rather than the chat group.