Public safety officers have been involved in at least five incidents in recent days, involving suspicious behaviour and arrests across Hermanus.
“A couple of these cases played themselves out in the early hours of the morning,” said Marius Boshoff, Hermanus branch manager for Fidelity ADT. “I hope this gives criminals the message that these officers are on duty and on guard around the clock, and criminal activity cannot be hidden in the dark of night.”
In one such night-time incident, an unidentified person was spotted by CCTV operators where he was loitering in the industrial area and looking into business windows.
“Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) officers joined Fidelity ADT armed response officers and members of the police in searching for the suspect, and he was later located where he was hiding,” says Boshoff. “There was no sign that any of the businesses had experienced any loss or damage to property, and police decided to detain the suspect on a charge of unruly behaviour.”
HPP is a ratepayer-funded initiative in partnership with Fidelity ADT.
The second incident was also at night, just after midnight. Three unidentified people were seen pushing trolleys along the R43, which raised suspicion. “The three were stopped and searched, which led to the discovery of old identity documents and passports as well as three Mandrax tablets,” Boshoff related. “The documents were confiscated, and one suspect was arrested for being in possession of drugs.”
Another suspect was located after he had reportedly grabbed a cellphone from a 14-year-old walking on a footpath.
“HPP officers joined other colleagues and partners in searching for the suspect, and he was found where he was hiding in bushes,” Boshoff said. “He took officers to where he had buried the stolen phone and was then escorted to the police station. The parents of the mugging victim declined to press charges to spare her the secondary trauma of a legal process, and the suspect was allowed to leave with a warning.”
There was also another incident, this time at the local golf club where Fidelity ADT provides the guarding service.
“One of our officers was on duty at the club when he noticed two men pushing a trolley with a gas bottle inside,” Boshoff said. “He questioned them on their reason for being at the club and where they had obtained the gas bottle, and became ever more concerned when their answers and explanations kept changing. They were handed over to the police and charged with possession of suspected stolen property.”. Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) is a non-profit company (NPC) established to provide public safety and top-up cleansing services in a geographical designated area of Hermanus, Western Cape. It is funded by the ratepayers through the Overstrand Municipality Special Rating Area By-law and Policy. Visit https://hpp.org.za/ for more information.