Sent August 3, 2015
Dear Ombudsman
On the evening of Sunday August 2, 2015, Kommetjie neighbourhood watch (Komwatch) was alerted to a suspicious person who had driven into Kommetjie on a scooter with no lights on and no licence plate. The suspect parked at the Lighthouse parking lot and walked on to the boardwalk then disappeared.
SAPS was called at 10.30pm to assist. SAPS informed KomWatch that they had only one vehicle on duty and would not be able to respond for the night as they were dealing with a suicide in Masiphumelele.
Metro and Law Enforcement were called at 10.32pm to request assistance. KomWatch searched for the individual and came upon someone poaching on the rocks. The scooter did not belong to this person but he informed Komwatch that the person had come to pick up perlemoen from boats that had left the catch on the rocks. Komwatch could not verify the claim.
The suspect returned to the vehicle 45 minutes later and was followed to Ocean view by KomWatch. About 10 minutes later, at 11.26pm, KomWatch were informed by telephone from metro control that Law Enforcement had arrived at the scene in Lighthouse Road.
Our main concerns are:
l SAPS have only one vehicle on duty at night and cannot respond to more than once incident at a time.
l SAPS did not respond to the incident at all, and KomWatch were informed on the phone categorically that they had no intention to do so as they had no capacity.
l We would like a suggestion from the ombudsman and advocate investigating the crisis at Ocean View Police Station as to how the situation can be improved as the residents of people of Masiphumelele, Ocean View and Kommetjie are suffering on a daily basis.
l Komwatch are also concerned that it took close to an hour for metro or Law Enforcement to arrive. However this will be followed up with the respective departments.
KomWatch look forward to a response.
Kind Regards
Joseph Padbury
Sent August 4
Morning Joseph
In response to your mail regarding response time.
On Sunday evening we had five members on duty. One in the CSC (Community Service Centres) and four operational.
At 8.55pm we received a call from our control room of reports of shooting in Lotus River area. We responded and secured the scene .We do not respond as a single mobile to volatile areas due to safety reasons.
Your report was given to us from our control room at 10.30pm to which one mobile responded while the other stood down with the SAPS at Lotus River.
On route to Kommetjie, the mobile assisted a motorist with a flat tyre at the corner of Spine Road and Strandfontein road. Due to the volatile area, we could not leave the motorist alone. This was reported in our OB (occurrence book) book at 10.31pm. At 10.45pm they completed the assistance and responded to Kommetjie.
They arrived in Kommetjie and gave feedback to our CSC as a negative complaint at 11.25pm.
The distance to drive from Strandfontein to Kommetjie as well as investigating the incident before giving feedback to the CSC is understandable in terms of the time frames indicated.
Regards
Riaan Spreeth
Superintendent
Cape Town Metro Police
I think the response time is understandable under the circumstances.
What is not acceptable is that there is no dedicated vehicle to deal with far south complaints.
We should not have to wait for complaints in other areas to be dealt with first. It is understood that the nature of the Lotus River complaint gave it priority.
However, this always leaves the far south exposed because there will always be calls and the vehicle will respond to the closest. It is human nature.
Please have a vehicle dedicated to the South in the South at all times.
Regards
Alderman Felicity Purchase
Dear Riaan
Thank you for the detailed and prompt feedback.
Felicity, could you please provide feedback on how the South Peninsula community have surety that we have a permanent metro police presence? In addition to this, when will we have a 24/7 service from Law Enforcement in the valley?
Komwatch have been trying for the past three months to have a joint initiative with Brian Ing from Law Enforcement. However, as Brian Ing has explained to me on a weekly basis, the resources are sent to more urgent matters, leaving the South Peninsula without a Law Enforcement presence. Again, this is understandable that there are more urgent matters, however, in your words, it is not acceptable that there is no dedicated service for the south at night from Law Enforcement.
I look forward to your feedback.
Kind Regards
Joseph Padbury
Sent August 24
Dear Felicity
On Friday evening at about 10.30pm Kommetjie neighbourhood watch (NHW) was alerted to a fight in Arum Road Kommetjie. An 18th birthday was being celebrated and apparently a large number of people, 60-70 in number, had arrived uninvited.
According to witnesses, a majority of the youths were allegedly from Fish Hoek Senior High School and surrounding suburbs (Kommetjie, Scarborough and Fish Hoek).
A significant number of individuals were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. During the course of the evening from 10.30pm until 2am there were running battles between groups with fights witnessed all over Kommetjie.
The events culminated in several of the youths threatening some Ocean View residents at the Shell Garage, which resulted in the Ocean View residents severely beating two of the youths.
This was a mass public disorder event with:
l Damage to property – vehicles were damaged.
l A neighbourhood watch member was physically assaulted and others had abusive and threatening language thrown at them.
l Youths were injured – they were tasering each other, throwing beer bottles and fighting.
l Underage drinking and taking drugs.
l Underage driving.
l Reckless driving – a number of vehicles were doing wheelspins along residential roads and speeding.
l Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
l Assaulting a female resident who had become entangled in a brawl trying to protect her son.
This all occurred over a 3.5hr duration. It is only through the efforts of NHW members that there were no significant injuries or worse.
Kommetjie NHW called for assistance from:
l Ocean View SAPS
l Metro
l Law Enforcement
None of the above had arrived by 1am putting Kommetjie residents, the youths and others at significant risk. The reasons given were:
l SAPS – only had one vehicle on duty and were dealing with complaints in Masiphumelele.
l Metro – were conducting a road block and would not send anyone to assist.
l Law Enforcement – we were told by the call centre operator that Law Enforcement do not respond to incidents in the Far South at night.
Finally Riaan Spreeth from metro was called on his personal mobile at 1am as a last resort to urgently request back-up. He said that he would get his team to respond. No metro vehicles had responded by 2am.
SAPS responded at about 1.30am with one vehicle. They were on scene for no longer than three to four minutes and left Kommetjie again with no action taken. This can be corroborated by CCTV images from the Shell Garage.
The communities of Kommetjie, Ocean View and Masiphumelele are deeply concerned that there is no law enforcement capabilities to uphold law and order so criminal acts like those of Friday evening are able to continue without any response.
Indeed, last night there was an incident where diesel was stolen from construction vehicles in Kommetjie. The thieves made a get away and SAPS and Law Enforcement arrived over an hour after receiving the call allowing criminal activity to go on unabated.
The DA-run City of Cape Town has, in Kommetjie alone, approved more housing which will almost double the population of Kommetjie, let alone all other developments and inward migration.
We understand the issues with SAPS, and given the SAPS response to the Khayelitsha Commission there is no quick fix to the issues experienced with Ocean View SAPS.
Riaan Spreeth has requested an urgent meeting with metro, Law Enforcement and community members to work on a way forward as this affects the entire South Peninsula.
Can you please arrange a meeting for the week commencing Monday August 24, 2015?
Joseph Padbury
Hi
I have discussed the concerns around lack of Metro Police in the Far South after hours and weekends with the Ed for safety and security, Mr Richard Bosman.
It is clear that we need to be able to respond to issues within minutes where possible.
It is going to be a while before Ocean View SAPS are capacitated to be responsive and therefore the various communities are at risk. We are all aware of the problems with the OV Station and its staffing.
Because of the breakdown in trust between the SAPS and the community, when they do respond like on Saturday morning, the community chase them away.
Mr Bosman will respond to me shortly with a plan in this regard.
Regards
Alderman Felicity Purchase
Chairman: Subcouncil 19
Ward Cllr 69
Thank you for responding Felicity,
We await Mr Bosman’s response and the eventual turning point that is crucially needed before things get out of hand and the communities start taking matters into their own hands for the worse.
All the best
Alan van Gysen
KomWatch Chairman