Plan to mark mountain muggers

Cape Town-141116- Octocopter pilot, But Corpaci tests his hand built octocopter (Issabella) in strong winds over an open field in District 6.

Cape Town-141116- Octocopter pilot, But Corpaci tests his hand built octocopter (Issabella) in strong winds over an open field in District 6.

Published Jul 30, 2015

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Cape Town - Wanted: a drone that can shoot orange dye that won’t wash off for three weeks.

Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde is in the market for one of these to use on mountain muggers – but he’s not sure they exist.

Winde said the spate of attacks on the mountain were causing brand damage.

“They’re not good for tourism, not good for the economy and not good for the mountain.”

He said he had been advocating for new and innovative ideas to tackle crime on the mountain and wanted entrepreneurs to come forward.

Winde has yet to get an answer from a drone company as to whether they could design one to shoot dye.

“Even if it could squirt teargas or pepper spray… we need people to realise they can’t get away with crime.”

Yesterday Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) staff attended a meeting called by the MEC for Community Safety, Dan Plato, to discuss safety and security concerns.

Park manager Paddy Gordon said there was a suggestion that the TMNP safety forum be revitalised.

“In the past there were quite a few members. We still have joint operations but we want to re-establish meetings to get new members and new ideas,” Gordon said.

He confirmed that Winde would be looking into the matter of technological interventions such as drones.

Other suggestions included deploying auxiliary officers trained by the community safety ministry at the Chrysalis academy with TMNP visitor safety rangers to expand the patrol capacity in critical areas on the mountain.

The possible provision of mobile kiosks at high volume gateways to the park, to provide visitor safety information and general advice on mountain use was also discussed.

Gordon said the TMNP was the only park that had full-time rangers for visitor safety.

Of its 121 rangers, 60 were dedicated to ensuring the safety of visitors.

They also had 13 trained security dogs and worked closely with the police and 10 neighbourhood watches.

Gordon said that being a free and open access park and so close to the city meant it was vulnerable to criminal elements.

But he said that, in general, crime had reduced on the mountain. “We adjust strategy depending on crime trends.”

Cape Argus

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