Reinier van den Bergh, Deep Blue Security
I refer to the article “All in day’s work for Hout Bay crime fighters” (Sentinel, September 2).
Give credit where credit is due. At midday on Friday August 19, a Deep Blue Security guard reported that a vehicle has been stolen from the parking lot in front of Edge Gym. Deep Blue Security response officers started a search and at 4.55pm the car was identified in Karbonkel Road in Hangberg by a Deep Blue response vehicle manned by Firdy August and Tanswell Verryne.
They chased the stolen vehicle down Albert Road and called for backup over the Deep Blue and Watchcon radio channels.
Mr August was assisted by two other Deep Blue vehicles, respectively manned by Dominic September and Mpumleli Noqa.
Deep Blue officers did not or could not have signaled Mike Dellbridge or James Spolander, as mentioned in your article; “He said a Deep Blue Security reaction officer signaled him and his colleague, James Spolander…”
Deep Blue could not signal Coastal Security for assistance at Victoria Street circle because they never saw them. This is according to Deep Blue responders as well as four other people involved in the chase, who also say they had no sighting of Mr Dellbridge, as claimed.
At Camps Bay, two of the Deep Blue vehicles turned back to Hout Bay to carry out normal duties, while Mr August and Mr Verryne continued to chase the stolen vehicle towards Cape Town via Kloofnek. Since the Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch radio channel does not function there, Mr August managed to contact CCP chairman, JJ De Villiers via cellphone to co-ordinate the chase and assist as requested.
Mr August and Mr Verryne continued to chase the vehicle and managed to signal for help from the Highway Patrol in Cape Town. The Highway Patrol helped Mr August in cornering the stolen vehicle at the corners of Loop and Pepper streets in Cape Town.
The three suspects (not two suspects as mentioned in the article) jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to get away on foot. Mr Verryne jumped out of the Deep Blue vehicle and with the help of CCID security, managed to arrest one of the three suspects. The vehicle was also recovered.
Cape Town SAPS, not Hout Bay SAPS as was alluded in the article, arrived approximately 30 minutes later and the suspect was handed over to them.
There was no sign of Mr Dellbridge or Mr Spolander during the course of this arrest or in Cape Town.
I also refer to the incident at Pondicherry Avenue as mentioned in the article:
Dominic September, Deep Blue Security’s response officer attended to the call-out and apprehended the suspect at the scene.
Approximately 10 minutes after the suspect had been detained and hand-cuffed by Mr September, Coastal Security arrived at the scene when no further assistance was needed.
I want to state that I understand and appreciate that everybody in Hout bay is working together to fight crime. I do take offence, however, at misrepresentation. The facts supplied to the Sentinel News by Mr Dellbridge was totally misleading and incorrect.
I have a responsibility to keep Deep Blue’s response officers positive and motivated.
The credit given to these so called “crime fighters” and not to the guys who actually did all the hard work in these two mentioned incidents, is not responsible. All of our Deep Blue team members go way beyond the call of duty, irrespective of whether the affected person is a Deep Blue client or not.
Due to them having an in-depth local knowledge, intensive in-house hands-on training and being street-wise, the Deep Blue response officers are acknowledged for being at the forefront of more than 80 percent of arrests made in Hout Bay by private security companies.
I realise that my letter might seem like a trivial pursuit to some but it is not.
It is an integral part of ensuring that we continue to deliver the kind of security excellence that Hout Bay has come to expect from us.
I trust that this letter will be received with the intention it was written; not to point fingers, but to give credit where credit is due.
