Zero tolerance to booze on Bay beaches

IT’S going to be a dry festive season for Bay beachgoers as the Nelson Mandela Bay metro plans to clamp down on booze at the city’s beaches.

The sobering announcement was made at the metro’s festive season safety and security launch at Wells Estate Beach yesterday.

Metro Police Chief Yolanda Faro said vehicles would be searched near the beaches and if alcohol was found it would be confiscated and the owners sent packing.

“We are going to concentrate on by-law enforcement, especially when alcohol is involved. Our beaches are not a drinking place,” Faro said.

She also outlawed fires, apart from at designated spots.

“There will be visible policing at all our beaches and that has already started.”

She said 98 traffic fines had already been issued for unlicensed vehicles and parking violations at various beaches around the city this past weekend.

Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip said the city could only become known as “crime-free” if its metro police force continued to grow.

“We need to keep our beaches beautiful and have a zero-tolerance approach to consumption of alcohol.

“If you want to get drunk, go to the tavern or your home.

“The beaches are not the place for that,” Trollip said.

Motherwell station commander Brigadier Ernie Neveling said they had already planned joint operation centres.

“We will support the metro police and there will be beach patrols by different police agencies.

“There will be multiple force deployment of police agencies,” Neveling said. —