Greetings,

In this Newsletter:

• The Hermanus Special Rating Area’s (HSRA) application to the Overstrand Municipality (OM) for an extension of term.
• Praise from a qualified hiking guide using the Cliff Path
• A few statistics to portray the impact of our activities to contribute towards a safe and clean environment.
• Join HPP for a Free Community Safety Event – Tuesday, 20 May 2025.

Application to the Overstrand Municipality (OM) for an extension of term.

In last month’s newsletter I reported that the OM Council were due to consider a proposal that an extension of term be granted for only one year to the HSRA and our neighbouring Special Rating Areas (SRAs), Kleinmond and Onrus – Vermont. The three SRAs worked together in documenting our concerns and I am pleased to say a productive meeting has been held with a few OM Councilors, the Municipal Manager and key Officials. We made it clear that the SRAs had carefully followed the application process previously stipulated by the OM and that it would be unfair to extend our respective terms by one year and require the SRAs to follow a more extensive application process. We made it clear that a one-year-term- decision would restrict our ability to do long term planning for the SRAs.

After considering our concerns, the OM have now asked the SRAs to build an additional step into our application process, which allows affected property owners to formally submit objections to the business plans. This step is aimed at providing further room for public participation in the SRAs’ application processes. The OM Council has undertaken to consider the respective applications, which include submissions covering the objections received as well as the managing bodies’ replies to these objections, at a Council meeting to be held on 28 May 2025. Please click https://hpp.org.za/2024-annual-general-meeting/ to view the notice which was published on 16 April 2025 regarding the objection process.

If Council agrees to the SRAs’ applications to have our respective terms extended from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030, we will be left with insufficient time (i.e. one month) to conduct thorough and fair procurement processes, culminating in the appointment of service providers for the new term. The SRAs have advised the OM that our respective boards intend to consider proposals to roll over the existing contracts on a month-to-basis and thereby create room to conduct thorough and fair procurement processes.

I am thankful that the OM have responded to the SRAs’ appeals in a positive manner and will keep you informed on developments.

Praise from a qualified hiking guide using the Cliff Path

Eric Mclaren, who is a qualified hiking guide, has granted permission to share the content of a post which he recently made on Facebook:

“We had a wonderful walk along the cliff path this morning. (We) parked at Dutchies and then got dropped off at the start by the new harbour… I must have counted at least 7 security guys along the route. Well done Hermanus for keeping the town clean and the walking trail safe.”

Eric subsequently added the following in a note to me:

The Cliff Path “is a big attraction for tourists. I am a qualified hiking guide and know the importance of keeping the trail safe for all visitors. You don’t see this kind of presence on any trail in the Cape Town area.”

Thank you Eric for the great feedback!

A few statistics to portray the impact of our activities to contribute towards a safe and clean environment.

Over the past quarter, HPP recorded 1,873 incident reports. These ranged from criminal activity such as house break-ins to public assistance cases, including locating missing pets.

Notably, there has been a gradual decline in the volume of reports since the beginning of the year, in line with Hermanus SAPS’s recent disclosure of a 3% year-on-year crime reduction (Hermanus Times, 30 April 2025). Monthly incident totals were as follows: January – 481, February – 457, March – 385, and April – 462.

In April, of the 462 reports logged:

• 95 involved crime-related activity (including municipal by-law infringements),
• 114 concerned public assistance,
• 249 were classified as crime prevention.

Crime prevention interventions involve proactive measures to avert potential criminal acts or by-law violations. These typically include reports from public members and observations by HPP Public Safety Officers, CCTV Operators, and Neighbourhood Watch groups, among others.

A key trend this quarter is the growing contribution of CCTV Operators in identifying suspicious activity. Their ever increasing vigilance has enabled more rapid deployment of response units, with successful interventions such as:

• Preventing the escalation of disorderly conduct,
• Responding to suspicious activity observed during nighttime hours, and
• Alerting residents to open garage doors or unlocked vehicles.

During the Easter holiday period, HPP also recovered numerous lost items. Where possible, these were returned to their rightful owners; unclaimed property was handed over to SAPS.

The consistent decline in reported incidents may indicate improved effectiveness of SAPS crime prevention efforts with municipal law enforcement, along with the deterrent impact of HPP’s visible, coordinated public safety operations. The increased vigilance and swift response enabled by CCTV monitoring continue to play a critical role in preventing incidents from escalating.