A suspect has been charged with possession of stolen property, thanks to an alert Hermanus public safety officer.
“One of the Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) officers was on patrol in Eastcliff when he saw a man walking along the main road,” Marius Boshoff, Hermanus branch manager for Fidelity ADT, related. “It was very early in the morning and the man’s demeanour raised suspicion, which prompted the officer to stop and question him.
HPP is a ratepayer-funded initiative in partnership with Fidelity ADT.
“The officer searched the bag the man was carrying, which led to the discovery of several computer and electronic items. At this point, the unidentified man dropped the bag and fled.” Inside the bag was a laptop, a tablet computer, headphones, charging cables and a laptop bag.
A description of the alleged suspect was broadcast over the area’s radio network, and members of two local neighbourhood watches joined the search. Aerial drones were also launched to assist.
A short while later the suspect was located in the CBD, apprehended and escorted to Hermanus police.
“One of the HPP officers mentioned to the police that he was aware of a burglary that had been reported in Voëlklip a few hours earlier,” Boshoff related, “and told them the electronic items discovered on the suspect seemed similar to the items reported stolen. The complainant in the burglary case was asked to come to the police station to possibly identify the items.”
The complainant arrived at the police station and positively identified the items as his, and the suspect was arrested and charged with the possession of stolen property.
In a separate incident two days earlier, HPP officers responded to a report of shoplifting at a clothing store in the CBD.
A description of the alleged female shoplifter was shared with all patrolling HPP officers, and she was later located in Long Street with the jacket she had allegedly stolen still in her possession.
Boshoff says she was handed over into police custody.
