With holidaymakers flocking to the Overstrand over the next few weeks, the police, Overstrand Municipality and joint districts launched their Festive Season Operational Plan for 2022-’23 on Friday.
The police, law enforcement, the fire department and community policing forum were part of this event held in Hermanus and the Safer Festive Season Operational Plan was handed over to the involved departments.
Brig Donovan Heilbron explained the different phases of the operational plan. “The festive season operation has already commenced,” he said. “We have developed the operational plan in different phases: Phase 1, the pre-holiday phase that ended on 30 November; Phase 2, from 1 December to 15 December that indicate the start of the holiday; Phase 3, from 16 December to 2 January, the holiday season; Phase 4, from 3 January to 16 January, the end of the holidays; Phase 5, which commences on 17 January to the end of January, which we call the post-holiday phase that includes the release of the matric results.”
In her speech the newly appointed Overberg District Commissioner Major General Meriam Mochologi emphasised the theme of this plan: “more boots on the ground to enhance police visibility”.
“When it is raining when you are about to start an event, it means blessings,” she said. “This morning when I woke up I realised that this event is indeed blessed.”
Mochologi further stated all law-enforcement agencies will focus on enhancing visibility and conducting a special kind of awareness such as gender-based violence. “Crime is affecting all of us, it doesn’t have colour, nor does it ask if one is black or white.” She also assured those present that the 243 members, who include law enforcement officers, will be on the ground during the festive season. “This operational plan must be implemented and not gathering dust in offices. There is no space for criminal activities in this area.”
The Mayor of the Overstrand, Dr Annelie Rabie, thanked the local police for the use of its mobile unit for Zwelihle after their satellite station was burnt to the ground in the 2018 riots.
“One of the three Cs I was committed to doing when appointed as Mayor is to reduce crime in the Overstrand,” she told the gathering. “We cannot grow the economy in the Overstrand, we cannot have political stability, we cannot have an Overstrand for all if we have crime. We have an absolute no-tolerance approach to crime.”
One of the highlights of the day was the ribbon cutting and the handing over of the keys of the mobile unit that will be situated in Zwelihle.
