HPP Newsletter - July 2024
Supplementing Municipal Services for a Safe, Clean and Healthy HSRA
Dear Hermanus Special Rating Area (HSRA) Property Owner,
During July
- HPP’s Executive Officer made presentations to both the CBD Cluster Forum (which is part of the Hermanus Business Chamber) and the Ward Three Meeting.
- Board members met with the Chief Financial Officer of the Overstrand Municipality to receive input on submissions made re the HSRA’s Term Extension proposal and the Business Plan for 2025-2030.
- Board members met with Trevor Edwards to discuss opportunities for HPP to contribute towards the revitalisation of the CBD.
- The HPP Directors celebrated Mandela Day by handing over soup packs and treats to the safety and cleansing teams.
- A summary of HPP’s performance for the past financial year was prepared.
Operations Summary for 2023 – 2024
Over the past financial year (July 2023 – June 2024), reported incidents have decreased by 4.23% (5,990 incidents) compared to the previous financial period (July 2022 – June 2023), which had 6,249 incidents. This reduction may be attributed to HPP’s effective impact on criminal activities in the area.
Throughout the year, there has been an increase in crime prevention activities within the HSRA. Crime prevention encompasses any intervention by HPP to avert potential crimes or by-law transgressions. Incidents are reported by members of the public (including Neighbourhood Watch groups), HPP CCTV operators, specialised response vehicles, and public safety patrol officers.
CCTV operators have increasingly detected suspicious behaviour, activating response teams accordingly. These interventions include addressing unruly behaviour before it escalates or notifying residents of vulnerabilities, such as an open garage door or an unlocked vehicle. Below is the percentage breakdown of the types of incidents HPP recorded over the year:
- Crime Prevention: 46%
- Crime-Related (including municipal by-law infringements): 28%
- Public Assistance: 26%
In addition to recovering stolen property, HPP’s efforts have led to the arrest of 95 suspects during the year.
HPP’s bike patrollers have recorded a total of 22,959 km cycled. Since the inception of the bike patrols on waste collection days (November 2022), there has been a significant decrease in complaints regarding waste pickers.
HPP foot patrollers have walked 186,113 km over the past year, with each patroller covering an average of 30 km per day, ensuring the safety of the cliff path and CBD both day and night. Vehicle patrols, comprising three vehicles operating 24/7, have driven 148,648 km, enabling rapid incident response, armed backup, and a visible presence across the HSRA.
HPP’s cleansing service has collected over 15.6 tonnes of waste from the cliff path. Working six days a week, they collect litter and dog waste. There has been a noted decrease in the amount of waste collected year-on-year, which we believe is due to the public’s improved adherence to by-laws.
Baboon Management in Hermanus’ Eastern Suburbs
It is known that funding for the baboon management programme, which has been successfully run in Hermanus’ Eastern suburbs, ends in December this year. Due to the uncertain destiny of the programme, an appeal has been made that the baboon management programme be included in the mandate of the HSRA – which is not the current situation.
The HSRA’S legislative framework requires that more than fifty percent of the registered property owners in the HSRA approve such an inclusion.
As reported in last month’s newsletter, the last question in the recently conducted opinion survey invited respondents to nominate additional services which should be provided by the HSRA. The survey results showed that a low percentage of responses (5%) voiced the request for the HSRA to take on baboon management services.
In that newsletter I also reported that the HSRA’s submission for the Term Extension was made to the OM at the end of June. My Board colleagues and I therefore regret that we are unable to respond positively to appeals that are being made.
I would like to applaud the unceasing efforts of Pat Redford and the Hermanus Baboon Action Group, to resolve a worrying situation.
Positive Feedback Received
In the past month positive feedback was received on assistance provided by HPP Staff. I have taken the liberty to share the contents of two letters without divulging the names of the authors. I thank them for taking the trouble to write to us.
“I would just like to compliment the service of one of your patrol officers.
On Saturday night (6 July) we arrived home from holiday and around 11 pm and we were busy unloading our bikes from the bike rack outside our house in Westcliff.
Your patrol officer arrived in the bakkie and shone his torch for my husband to see what he was doing, and stayed with us until we were able to drive the vehicle into the property and close the gate.”
“I am writing to thank you for the exceptional kindness and assistance given to me by your security patrol staff on 28 June in the evening. I was dropped off by a vehicle and was walking, looking for the guest house … and was not able to find the way … I was not carrying a mobile phone with me at the time.
Zihle was in her patrol vehicle at the upper side of the road …and assisted me by relaying a telephone request to Thabo who was also in the area. Thabo arrived in his vehicle soon after as arranged with Zihle, and explained that while he was not able to offer me a lift to the guest house, he would visit the guest house to enquire, and report back. He returned to say that the guest house was closed…
I decided to walk back to a friend’s home at … along the Main Road in Eastcliff, while waiting for the family to arrive from Cape Town. On the way, Zihle again stopped and called my friend by telephone to notify him of my whereabouts…
All the way along the walk along …, Zihle and Thabo took turns to stop and check on me and my safety…”
Mandela Day Celebrations
The Directors and Executive Officer honoured HPP’s “Soup-er Heroes” by personally sponsoring the soup packs and treats which were handed over to HPP’s Safety and Cleansing teams.
Mandela Day, celebrated annually on 18 July, encourages acts of kindness and community service, inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela. Through this donation, the HPP Directors and Executive Officer not only paid tribute to Mandela’s values but also strengthened the sense of community and togetherness in Hermanus.
The HPP Public Safety and Cleansing team members, essential to the smooth operation of the Hermanus Special Rating Area (HSRA) managed by HPP, received the packs with gratitude.
A special thanks goes to Ann Wright (HPP Director of Cleansing) for initiating and coordinating the gesture.
Extract from HPP’s Daily Operational Reports
One of HPP’s recent daily reports provides some good insight into the lives of our Safety Officers. The report included:
- Suspicious people were spotted wandering amongst the houses during the night, they were monitored out of the area
- CCTV spotted people begging in the area and they were monitored out the area
- CCTV reported people fighting in the CBD and the situation was resolved before SAPS arrived.
- A male was seen making a fire in Swartdam Road and he was informed he is not allowed to do so.
- A report was received regarding people sleeping in the graveyard after which HPP officers confirmed they had erected a tent. OM’s Law Enforcement was called, and they removed the tent and the rubbish that was strewn around.
- The CCTV operators saw a man crying at the edge of the Cliff Path – a response vehicle was dispatched. The Safety Officer arrived in time to speak to the man and calm him down. The Neighbourhood Watch responders also assisted. The man’s sister was called, and she arrived to take him home.
- Open doors and garage doors were seen and the owners were informed.
As always, HPP urges you to remain vigilant and to be safe.
Jerry van Niekerk
HPP Chair
E-Mail: chairperson@hpp.org.za
Website: https://hpp.org.za