In the past year Vredenburg and Saldanha’s town centres, industrial areas and other businesses have come under fire of midnight miscreants and thieves who vandalise, steal and cause thousands of rands of damage.
About R11 500 worth of goods, including cigarettes, were stolen from a shop in Mika Street, Witteklip, on Saturday evening.
According to Capt Tania Helfrich, spokeswoman for the West Coast police, the 20-year-old complainant was closing the store when two men forced him back into the store and assaulted him.
The robbers threatened the complainant with firearms and demanded money. He could see that there were still men standing outside who were with the robbers inside. They all fled at once.
Somewhere between Friday 28 June around 19:00 and Saturday around 04:00, business premises in Perlemoen Street, Marius Industria, opposite the Weskus Mall, were broken into and a laptop worth R45 000 and biltong worth R80 000 were stolen. The biltong thieves broke a window to gain access.
In Saldanha, R7 200 worth of whisky was stolen from a liquor store on Saturday between 18:00 and 22:27.
The centre of Vredenburg also struggles under the “looting gang” with a businesswoman who came to the business premises of an auto-electric company in Main Road Vredenburg on Wednesday 26 June, and found a work vehicle badly damaged, despite an alarm system and other safety equipment.
On Saturday, a bakkie was broken into at the test station and money and documents were stolen.
On Sunday, the owners of a boat and other marine equipment business arrived once again to a broken glass front door that had to be repaired at great cost.
On Monday, Bullguard Security Services came across another smashed front door at an entrance to the top floor of the building on the corner of the Sanlam Centre in Main Road.
Councillor Venti Vaughan from the Saldanha Bay Municipality believes the only way to try to curb this wave of break-ins is increased visible policing.
She said Vredenburg police and Law Enforcement should consider joining forces to make more feet on the ground possible.
Harry Lu from the Vredenburg Business Forum concurs a multifaceted approach is needed to address the Vredenburg business centre’s escalating crime levels.
He said this area had seen a troubling rise in crime, becoming a significant concern for business owners.
“The increasing crime rate threatens safety and impacts the local economy and quality of life.”
Lu felt the official response had been inadequate, lacking proactive and effective measures to address the issue.
“He proposed strengthening community policing, promoting community involvement, improving education and employment opportunities, and enhancing resource integration.
“The current police force in Vredenburg is insufficient, hindering efforts to curb criminal activities.”
The municipal government should increase the number of police officers, enhance patrol frequency, and equip them with advanced tools such as surveillance cameras and real-time communication devices. Professional training, especially in handling violent crimes and drug-related offenses, should be intensified to ensure effective response to various criminal activities.”
Lu believed community involvement was crucial for crime prevention. “Crime prevention is a shared responsibility between the police and the community.
“The municipal government should promote cooperation between residents and law enforcement, encouraging participation in neighbourhood-watch programmes and crime-prevention activities. This not only increases residents’ sense of security, but also strengthened community cohesion and vigilance.”
He added that establishing community security committees to hold regular safety seminars and training sessions can educate so many residents on self-protection and prompt reporting of suspicious activities.
Lu also believed that improving education and employment opportunities is vital for long-term crime prevention. “Low education levels and limited job opportunities are significant factors contributing to rising crime rates.”
“Promoting local economic development to create more job opportunities and providing skills training and career guidance, particularly for youth and low-income groups, can help reduce the likelihood of turning to crime.”
A meeting is envisaged for next week between the police, business owners and other relevant role players but details have not been finalised by time of going to print.
