Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Harfield Village area sees a spike in robberies
IN THE wake of the murder of city politician and former journalist Steven Otter, residents are anxious, as it emerges that there has been an increase in crime in the Claremont and Harfield Village area.
Early last Friday, Otter was murdered in his Harfield Village home during a robbery.
Claremont Community Police Forum chairman Abdul Kerbelker said there was a spike in house robberies in the area, which raised concern.
Jenni Coleman, manager for the Harfield Village Community Improvement District, said contact crimes in the area had been high during this period.
She said these incidents had mostly taken place during the early hours of the morning.
Derek Bluck, chairman of the Har- Lyn neighbourhood watch group, said crime in general had decreased in most parts of the Claremont area.
However, he said in order to deter crime, the community needed to support initiatives in place in the area, such as the neighbourhood watch groups and CIDs.
Currently, he said, there were 6 000 to 7 000 residents living in the Har-Lyn neighbourhood watch catchment area. However, in spite of this, there were only 475 members in their neighbourhood watch group.
A larger neighbourhood watch group would serve as a deterrent.
“We would encourage more members to join the neighbourhood watch.”
Coleman, who is also a HarLyn neighbourhood watch patroller, said they work closely with SAPS and ADT armed response.
But it was important for the community to come on board.
“HVCID is also investigating an initiative to have licence plate recognition cameras installed at entrances into the village. These cameras are used in many areas in the peninsula and have been proven to reduce crime and assist in the arrest of suspected criminals.”
Kerbelker said people needed to be more vigilant. “Communities need to come together to put strategies in place, with the assistance of SAPS.”
He encouraged people to get to know their neighbours and to check safety measures at their homes. “This can be an opportunity for communities to work together in the structures that are available.”
Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana, spokeswoman for provincial SAPS, said there were new developments in the Otter murder case.