A long line of cars, with flashing lights and wailing sirens, took to the streets of Summerstrand at the weekend in a “show of force” to warn criminals and set residents’ minds at ease.
Dozens of vehicles representing the police, metro police, various private security firms and neighbourhood watches and other emergency services, joined the motorcade that took over the beachfront along Marine Drive and Beach Road.
Long before the procession of vehicles was visible, they could be heard sounding sirens and tooting their horns, trying to attract as much attention as possible.
Pedestrians along the way quickly whipped out their cellphones to record the string of vehicles passing by.
Starting from the Nelson Mandela University Second Avenue campus, the procession went towards Strandfontein Road, and down Admiralty Way, where it turned into Marine Drive.
From there the vehicles proceeded to Kings Beach, turned around and came to a halt at the lawns near Pollok Beach.
There members of the SA Police Service K9 unit did a quick demonstration of a dog chasing down a suspect.
K9 member Sergeant Damian Theron played the role of the unfortunate suspects being chased down by patrol and explosives dog Bentley, with handler Sergeant Wallace Ketteldas in tow.
The event was organised by the Summerstrand Neighbourhood Watch (SSNW) in its continued effort to build relationships with law enforcement partners as they work to secure the beachfront, one of the city’s biggest tourism attractions.
“We want to reassure residents that we are here and we are active.
“We want to show them the faces of the people looking to keep them safe, and hopefully it gives them a sense of safety,” SSNW marketing head Ian Millar said.
“On the other hand we also hope the criminal elements see us and take notice.
“They need to realise there is an entire network of law enforcement agencies working together to prevent them from plying their trade, or to bring them to book if they break the law.”
In addition to the police and metro police, members from Atlas Security, F-ADT Security, CityWide Security and Tac Net Private Security formed part of the motorcade.
To increase visibility, a large red fire truck also joined, while most of the vehicles belonged to private residents with the SSNW branding on the side.
“The purpose of the activities were to assure the community in Gqeberha that strong partnerships exist among the various security forces around the city,” police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said.
“In many cases services are rendered by volunteers without compensation while using their own personal resources to assist in preventing crime.
“We want to ensure the public that the motto ‘together we are stronger’ is taken seriously.”
On the other side of the city, members from the Kabega Park police station partnered with the Sherwood Neighbourhood Watch and law enforcement partners in their region to promote their co-operation and interact with residents of their local community.
Residents had the opportunity to meet and interact with representatives from the police and private security firms at a series of stalls in an effort to build and improve relationships with the public.
Nelson Mandela Bay district commissioner Major-General Vuyisile Ncata said these initiatives went a long way towards strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they served.
“These force multipliers, like private security and neighbourhood watches, enhance visibility in all hotspot areas and the presence of the SAPS, along with these organisations, definitely has a positive impact in ensuring that the citizens of Nelson Mandela Bay are and feel safe,” Ncata said.
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