The Green Point and Oranje-Kloof City Improvement Districts (GP/OKCID) are expecting a rise in crime during the second week of lock down, due to people disobeying the rules and rising desperation amongst the destitute and vulnerable people on the streets.
From 26 March to 2 April 2020, there were 38 incidences of crime for general theft and suspicious persons or vehicles, which is 16,6% more than the average number per week in January and February 2020. “This spike in crime is likely due to the destitute and vulnerable people on the streets taking advantage of the situation; gathering by stores that remain open and aggressively begging or becoming violent out of desperation. This will likely only increase if people continue to disobey lockdown rules,” comments Marius Swanepoel, GPCID’s Security Manager.
“I’ve been disappointed by the number of individuals walking around and vehicles driving around under the pretence that they’ve run out of essential items, amongst other excuses,” comments Marc Truss, Chief Executive of the GP/OKCID.
He adds, “This is especially worrying, as most incidents of crime over the past week have been due to continual movement on the streets, including smash and grab incidents, remote jamming, and vehicle break-ins.
If all goes according to The City of Cape Town’s plan, those on the streets will all be placed into ‘safe spaces’. “This would decrease incidents of crime substantially, allowing us to focus more on vehicle and general illegal movement,” says Marc.
He concludes by saying” Our team is being as proactive as possible, and we are communicating with property owners and residents frequently to ensure their safety and comfort. We ask that you, the public, obey the instructions by our State President, for the sake of your family, friends, and the wider community’s health and safety.”