Strand has the Highest Crime Rate in The Helderberg Basin

Says Western Cape MEC for Community Safety, Advocate Lennit Max spoke out against crime in the Helderberg Basin at a recent confrence addressing interested parties on the 5th October at the Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West.

Here is an extract of his speech to the interested parties that attended the event:

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am not here to massage the crime statistics of the Western Cape, but close scrutiny of the latest crime statistics for the various towns in the Helderberg, show that certain crimes present huge threats and challenges to law enforcement here as well.

I am concerned about the high crime statistics for the Strand area it has the highest incidences of nearly all the categories ranging from contact crime, drug-related crime to commercial crime. Minister, please see attached crime stats for Strand, Somerset West, Macassar, Gordon's Bay and Lwandle. The Strand has the highest crime rate by far in the Helderberg Area.

Provincial Police will have to tell us the exact reasons behind these numbers as well as what is being done to effectively bring crime down.
My questions to you as business are:
How will you react to these crime statistics and what is your individual contribution towards crime fighting in the Helderberg?
I don’t have all the answers, but what I know is that crime cannot be fought alone by the police or the Department of Community Safety.
I also know that a safer province will generate greater confidence and in turn will mean increased and much needed investments. To achieve this, we need strong and sustainable partnerships with business.
The solution in crime fighting lies in a combined effort of government departments, the SAPS and the community, which include business and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), schools, neighbourhood watches and community policing forums, which are proving successful.
But, if the police are not doing their work, I want to hear from you.If the police do not attend to your concerns in an effective manner, then I want to hear from you. Business must come to and stay at the party.
I want to congratulate the Helderberg Crime Watch who, as a community-driven initiative, addresses crime in a certain wards in Somerset West. We definitely need more of these initiatives in the Helderberg. The well-known saying goes: Charity begins at home.
But, I have two major concerns, pleads:
Firstly, improved assistance by business to the police must also and always incorporate the poorer communities in the Helderberg, because it is mostly the poor that are hardest hit by crime. Crime usually robs these victims of their only livelihood, dignity and future.
The Helderberg need the same effective anti-crime structures that exist in the more affluent areas, in the less affluent communities. The end goal has to be that a resident from Lwandle will experience the same feeling of safety as a resident from Parel Valley.
In Cape Town, crime was reduced by a considerable margin through effective programmes like the central improvement district (CID). SAPS, Metro police CID and traffic worked together to great success. Clamping down on minor crimes the occurrence of bigger crimes has been reduced.
I am of a strong believer that education is one of our strongest weapons against crime. You will recognise the saying: If you give someone a fish, you will feed him for a day. But if you show him how to fish, you will give him food for a lifetime.