Concern over Louis Fourie Road crime
There is renewed concern over the crime on the stretch of Louis Fourie Road on either side of the turnoff to Boland Park, opposite Dias Beach.
A number of robberies, mainly of cellphones, by people wielding knives, have taken place there over the past few years.
Most recently, last month, there were two robberies in which cellphones and according to one account, a wristwatch, were snatched. News of these was circulated on a neighbourhood watch group and on Facebook.
Members of the community have expressed their concern on social media over the past two weeks. Also, a concerned Dias resident expressed her concern to Mossel Bay Advertiser.
Pedestrians, runners and cyclists are all at risk.
A Boland Park man (21) died of a fatal stab wound when he was robbed of his cellphone at the Boland Park and Louis Fourie Road intersection in June 2021.
Bicycle
A few years ago a woman was pushed off her bicycle near the intersection. Mossel Bay Advertiser knows of five more incidents besides these mentioned.
The Advertiser asked police what it was doing about the crime there.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Kappie Kapp noted: “There has been a decrease in the reporting of crime in the mentioned Boland Park, Dias Beach and Louis Fourie Road area, measured against the same reporting period last year.”
He said this was due to measures by the police and other law enforcement agencies, including setting up surveillance cameras.
'Visibility patrols'
“There are more visibility patrols taking place and the safety hints from our sector commanders, Social Crime prevention offices, neighbourhood watches and the community police forums are paying off.” Kapp said that during partnership and community meetings and awareness programmes, the public was educated to be more vigilant and safety had become a societal priority.
He said the recent robberies and crimerelated incidents, news of which had been circulating on WhatsApp groups and on Facebook pages, had not been reported to police.
According to the police's crime detection management, there was one incident reported in December 2023, when a person was robbed of his cellphone in Louis Fourie Road, Kapp noted.
“The assailants were arrested shortly thereafter and the stolen cellphone, recovered.
“The suspects appeared in court and the police opposed bail. The two suspects are in custody and awaiting trial,” Kapp said. “Police can only give factual feedback on reported crime,” he noted.
The area in question on Louis Fourie Road falls under the Da Gamaskop Police Station. Kapp said the station management “emphasises the importance of reporting crime to the police”.
He said this was a highly important part of crime prevention, so police could plot crime patterns, to have more intelligence-driven operations and actions.
“Further, we encourage the community to get more involved with neighbourhood watches and community police forums. Attend community meetings to make suggestions and enquiries,” he urged.
The Advertiser enquired to the municipality about the possibility of having “high crime zone” warning signs on Louis Fourie Road.
It responded: “The matter of placing notice boards warning members of the public about crime in the mentioned area, has been debated by the executive management of the municipality in the past.”
It noted that at the time, the number of incidents reported did not indicate the area to be a high crime zone.
Security cameras
The statement continued: “It was suggested that improved preventative safety measures may be more effective to curb opportunistic crime. This includes the installation of security cameras, which allows not only the monitoring of hotspots, but enables law enforcement entities to prosecute perpetrators.
“The municipality takes community safety seriously and is not averse to reconsidering discussions on the establishment of such warning signs.”
The Advertiser also asked whether municipal law enforcement officials patrol the area.
The municipality responded: “The area is part of municipal law enforcement’s patrol area, which demonstrates the municipality’s commitment towards community safety.
'Proactive steps'
“While the municipality is taking proactive steps to enhance patrols, the primary responsibility for law enforcement remains with the police.
“During the festive season, with the huge influx of visitors and heightened risk of criminal activity, the municipality works alongside its partners in community safety to do beach patrols.
This includes the use of horses and quad bikes. Additional contracted security officials also perform foot patrols during this peak time.
“The municipality, in its quest to enhance community safety, already collaborates with the police in joint operations and will continue doing so where possible.”
It advised pedestrians, runners, cyclists and anglers not to move around alone, but be part of a group, noting this was a deterrent to opportunistic criminals.