Observatory residents vow to combat crime after recent car hijacking incident

The Observatory Civic Association held a town hall meeting on Saturday. The meeting was to discuss how to bring about peace in the community.

The Observatory Civic Association held a town hall meeting on Saturday. The meeting was to discuss how to bring about peace in the community.

Published Sep 20, 2021

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Cape Town - A recent hijacking with a toddler still seated in the car has heightened the determination of Observatory residents to combat crime in their suburb.

The Observatory Civic Association (OCA) with Observatory Improvement District (Obsid) and concerned parties held a town hall meeting on Saturday.

OCA’s Kimon Bisogno responsible for Social Issues said the meeting was a direct response to the incident which took place last Monday on Bishop Street with the 7-month-old toddler still in the car.

“The car and child were found but it left me, a new mom, and all the moms in our community in shock. We had to respond. A caring community is a community that responds. I created this town hall meeting so the community could talk and hear from the key role-players how to take action to make Observatory a safer place,” said Bisogno.

Bisogno said steps would be taken to bring back the Observatory Neighbourhood Watch.

Obsid chairperson Jodi Allemeier said the meeting was organised by volunteer community members with an interest in building a more peaceful community with and for everyone who lives in Observatory after recent events as well as debates about safety and inclusion in Observatory.

“Information was shared by public safety service providers, including Obsid, about improvements in crime patterns over recent years, investments in increased public safety capacity, and proactive measures to support Observatorians to keep safe, as well as the importance of staying vigilant and reporting crimes when they do occur,” said Allemeier.

Allemeier said two follow-up engagements were committed to – one focusing on the potential establishment of a neighbourhood watch, and the other on the concerns relating to the Observatory street people community, with their participation.

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