Muggings hit central business district in Knysna

KNYSNA NEWS - Three muggings took place in Knysna's central business district in the past week.

One was in Main Road west, another in Main Road east and the third in Long Street. In the first a handbag was taken, in the second a gold chain was ripped off the neck of a woman and the third involved a cellphone and cash being stolen.

Two of the suspects were apprehended by the police after a review of CCTV footage.

Yanked

Elaine King (60), who was mugged outside Central Pharmacy in Main Road on Friday 27 June, has warned people to be vigilant at all times.

"This kind of thing happened so quickly, I never even saw him approach me. From now on I am going to be especially careful with my handbag and phone. It's a real shame that this kind of thing is happening in Knysna," said King.

She had exited the pharmacy and was walking along the pavement towards the Toyota Garage, at about midday.

"All I saw was a flash and my necklace was yanked right off my neck. It happened in literally a second. I saw it was somebody dressed in black. I chased him, but he ran down Long Street. Thanks to camera footage, the incident was captured and a suspect arrested that same night. SAPS and AllSound Security were excellent," said King.

The suspect has been charged. He remains in custody and will appear in court on a later date to apply for bail.

Dark hoodie

On Wednesday 25 June, a woman was robbed at knifepoint in Long Street while on her way to Thesen Island.

The woman reported that a woman, dressed in a dark hoodie and grey pants and accompanied by a dog, robbed her of her small leather bag containing a bank card, driver's licence and R200 cash.

AllSound Security officers checked the area, and information was received that the suspect was living at the Waste-By-Rail site. According the people who live there, however, she had run towards town.

A female suspect was later arrested by the SAPS K9 Unit, and a case was opened against her.

In the third incident, on which there is scant information, a cellphone and cash were stolen.

Police reinforcements have been deployed in Knysna during the Oyster Festival to curb any incidents.

This reassuring message from Captain FC van Wyk, police media liaison officer in the Western Cape, came in response to questions from the paper about three muggings that took place in the CBD in the past week.

"An operational plan is in place to manage any eventuality that may arise during the Oyster Festival and perimeters thereof," he said. This includes routes to and from the festival.
He said while details about operational information are often shared among different law enforcement agencies to enhance policing capabilities, this information is not shared with the media.