Opportunistic crime in the Cape Town CBD is expected to increase "marginally" when the nationwide lockdown eases and various restrictions are lifted, according to the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID).
"Initially, we anticipate a small increase in crime perpetrated by opportunistic criminals, but we predict that this will soon stabilise once they realise that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated in the CBD. This is what occurred during the first few days of the lockdown," says CCID Safety & Security manager Mo Hendricks.
In the first two months of the nationwide lockdown in South Africa, crime in the Cape Town CBD dropped by 72 % across all crime categories compared with the number of incidents recorded this time last year. Statistics released by the CCID Safety & Security department reveal that only 121 crime incidents were reported from 26 March 2020 to 26 May 2020, compared with 423 during the same period last year.
Hendricks says the number of contact crimes also dropped dramatically compared with the same period last year. In 2019 there were: 33 robberies, 93 cases of theft out of motor vehicles and 22 cases of ATM fraud. From the start of Lockdown on 26 March 2020 until 26 May 2020, there were 7 robberies (a reduction of 79 %), 7 cases of theft out of motor vehicle (a reduction of 93 %) and no cases of ATM fraud (a reduction of 100 %). There were also no incidents of general theft.
Now, as Lockdown Level 3 comes into effect on 1 June, more businesses are set to reopen and at least a third of the workforce is expected to return to the CBD. The CCID Safety & Security team is "expecting new challenges with the increased movement of people". Says Hendricks: "Since Lockdown was enforced at the end of March, our main focus has been to protect people, property and possessions, and to enforce the lockdown regulations especially regarding the curfew. This has been very successful as, working closely with our partners SAPS and the City’s Law Enforcement agency, we have managed to maintain a strong security presence and been able to effectively enforce the lockdown regulations as stipulated in the National Disaster Act,” he says.
CCID Safety & Security also increased its services to stakeholders to include:
- Routine checking of residential complexes;
- Routine commercial building checks to ensure doors and windows are secured;
- Rapid response to building alarm activations received via the CCID control center or on the ground via PSOs.
- A courtesy safety escort service to individuals who feel unsafe walking in the CBD;
- Providing businesses (which are trading) with security when they open or lock up their premises.
Now, as Cape Town moves to Level 3, CCID Safety & Security is set to alter its crime-prevention focus to include contact crimes that affect people, such as common robbery and theft out of motor vehicles as well as:
- providing a visible presence at street level to deter and reduce crime activity;
- limiting antisocial behaviour such as drinking in public and aggressive begging;
- curbing drug solicitation and usage in public.
The department has been operating at full capacity as an essential service since the lockdown began, with its full complement of 300 Public Safety Officers (PSOs) working shifts day and night to secure the CBD. Strict Covid-19 safety protocols have been put in place and all PSOs are required to wear PPE in public, including masks and gloves, and observe social distancing practices.
IMAGES: CCID