PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - A series of burglaries in Plettenberg Bay over the past two weeks have caused concern among local crime fighters.

Plett Watch's Lisa Nagel said there have been at least eight incidents during this period – and these were only the ones reported to her.

On Monday night there were three reported incidents – an attempted burglary; theft of a handbag and keys from a house; and an attempted vehicle break-in.

In order to address these crimes, Nagel said, there is a need for residents' involvement. She explained they are in the process of mapping and plotting all the burglaries to establish a pattern or trend and also to assist with identifying areas where they need more patrols.

To achieve this, Nagel said, more dedicated patrollers in all areas are needed. "We need eyes and ears out at all hours and preferably overlapping. If less than half the members on our groups did an hour's patrol a month at a set time, we'd have 24/7 patrolling. There are 744 hours in a 31-day month. We have more than double that number of people on our groups. All we ask is a couple of hours of your time once a month and we will have this town covered," Nagel said.

She added that it takes mostly the presence of patrollers for criminals to be scared off. "The hours from 18:00 until 06:00 are crucial and would suit members who work full time or do not sleep much. During the day, housewives and retirees would be able to take a drive around and keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour. At the moment we have a maximum of 12 active volunteer patrollers trying to cover all the hours in a month."

Nagel also encouraged residents to join neighbourhood watch groups. "The more members we have, the more information we can get out to you regarding your area and the more secure everyone will feel – knowing what is happening around you."

They also need information with regards to burglaries and other crimes in each area, Nagel said. "This will assist us with the mapping of hot areas. We are not always informed of crimes so it is difficult to get a true reflection of where, when and how a crime has taken place. The more information we receive, the more we are able to assist and try to ensure it does not happen again."

Would you like to get involved?
For more information, email plettwatchmembers@gmail.com.

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