This year’s Hout Bay Beach Safety Project proved an overwhelming success, with very few incidents reported over the festive season.
With buy-in from all Hout Bay communities as well as local businesses, volunteer patrollers, police, Law Enforcement, stakeholders gave up their free time willingly to ensure locals and tourists were kept safe on the beaches.
Hout Bay station commander Lieutenant Colonel Khuthala Nebhisi was full of praise for the Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch (HBNW) initiative, which concluded this week.
“Station commander Lieutenant Colonel Khuthala Nebhisi would like to thank all the partners especially the neighbourhood watch and Law Enforcement for the assistance during the festive season. Everyone that assisted in the planning and every beach patroller, this was such a success and no serious incidents were reported,” SAPS Hout Bay said in a statement.
The neighbourhood watch said the stakeholders’ assistance on Hout Bay beach allowed police to concentrate their scarce resources on other areas, resulting in there being virtually no incidents reported in the Sandy Bay area over the festive season, in stark contrast to from previous
years.
Community police forum chairperson Toby Adams paid special tribute to Tammy Matthysen, who headed up the project.
“Every time I was on the beach or drove past the beach, Tammy was there. Amazing dedication,” he said.
Ms Matthysen congratulated all patrollers for their hard work and dedication.
“Giving up your free time means the absolute world to me and all our visitors to the bay,” she said.
“This safety initiative has been made possible because of sponsors who generously supported the initiative and all round team work with Hout Bay SAPS and Law Enforcement. It has been a privilege to work with all – those involved.”
She added to show the neighbourhood watch’s appreciation a “big surprise” was being organised for patrollers and stakeholders.
“All will be revealed soon.”
