Tight surveillance keeps Ballito crime rate low

Residential crime remains low in Ballito, but there is a continued lack of willingness to open cases.

This was revealed at the Ballito Neighbourhood Watch (BNW) annual general meeting held recently at the Dolphin Striders clubhouse.

Although official crime stats were not available at the time of print, BNW chairman Morné Steffens said crime in the residential areas of Ballito was minimal.

This is informed by independent BNW monitoring and cataloguing of incidents, where crime stats may paint an inaccurate picture given a lack of cases lodged.

“We again urge people to open cases when appropriate. It may be a hassle on the day as opposed to an incident report, but it will directly affect the policing resources in the area,” said Steffens.

Last week, Umhlali Saps leadership admitted a shortage of human resources, showing the importance that accurate crime statistics can have.

Doing their part as a visible presence in the community, BNW members undertake weekly patrols of the area, but Steffens has requested further uptake of the voluntary service.

“We have around 100 people registered and about 60 who do a two-and-a-half hour shift every week. The patrollers do not engage, but rather report to relevant security stakeholders. Any further membership on the programme would be a huge help,” said Steffens.

As for ongoing BNW programmes, the Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras continue to bolster security operations, and Steffens said they have so far assisted in around 50 arrests in their four years of use.

These are funded by BNW membership and fundraising operations, including the highly successful potjie day, which last year raised R57 000 alone.

Going forward, Steffens raised the repeated issue of underage drinking which will also be addressed by the Ward 30 CPF, while flagging a particularly heavy fireworks season.

He committed to finding potential solutions with the new BNW committee which will be appointed later this month.

If you would like to become a member of the BNW or find out how you can help with voluntary community assistance, visit ballitonw.org.za.

Membership costs an annual R250 per household.

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