For the past 18 years Coastal Security Services co-founder, Mike Dellbridge has kept the criminals in Hout Bay and Llandudno on their toes by helping various crime fighting organisations keep the streets crime-free.
On Friday August 19, two alleged car thieves met their match when they were arrested in the city centre by Hout Bay SAPS after a high speed chase involving Deep Blue Security, Community Crime Prevention (CCP) and Coastal Security.
Mr Dellbridge said the search for a red Toyota Yaris – stolen from Deez, a Mexican pub – began shortly after lunch on that Friday after the car had re-emerged without any number plates after being stolen earlier in the day.
He said a Deep Blue Security reaction officer signalled him and his colleague, James Spolander at the Victoria Street traffic circle, indicating they needed back-up. Without hesitation, they obliged.
The car was heading out of Hout Bay up Victoria Avenue.
The two made their way along Victoria Avenue towards Suikerbossie while at the same time calling the SAPS on the two-way radio. Three SAPS vehicles responded to their call and also made their way up Victoria Avenue.
“We drove at break neck speed past Llandudno all the way to Bakoven where we had a brief middle of the road conference. We then split our resources to cover the two routes into Cape Town and continued on our way in pursuit of the stolen car,” Mr Dellbridge said.
Mr Dellbridge, who was trained as a police reservist in Johannesburg, has spent the past 18 years in community safety.
He regularly volunteers his time to assist the community with road accidents, fires, taxi violence and security advice to mention a few.
As a co-pilot to Mr Spolander, Mr Dellbridge navigated the vehicle – at a high speed – in the heavy Friday-afternoon traffic to Loop Street where police arrested the two suspects.
Mr Spolander said the heavy afternoon traffic made the situation very tense but fortunately the outcome was as they hoped, to arrest the suspects.
The following week the two once again assisted Deep Blue Security when an intruder made his way into the property of a Pondicherry Avenue home.
Mr Dellbridge said the owner of the house had locked herself in her bedroom when the intruder entered her home.
Initially they thought there were two intruders but then discovered that the intruder had brought his two-year-old son along.
Mr Spolander said he asked police officers not to cuff the man in front of his son as it would traumatise the young child.
“This is our voluntary service to the community of Hout Bay. We have been assisting with emergencies all over the bay and surrounding areas for many years and will continue to do so.”
Later that week the two also assisted a woman in Baviaanskloof who had an intruder in her house. They were first on the scene and secured the property and comforted the victim.
No arrests were made.
“We are here to assist the community whenever possible whenever an emergency occurs,” Mr Dellbridge said.
Hout Bay acting station commander Captain Jacques Lourens, confirmed the arrests and said the occupants of the Toyota Yaris had been charged with possession of a suspected stolen vehicle as well as theft of a motor vehicle and the intruder in Pondicherry Avenue, charged with trespassing.
