Table Mountain Safety

[kandui]

I am sure a lot of the CPT based Members read about the cyclist stabbed on Table Mountain yesterday morning. Coincidentally i spoke to a rider at Tokai on Saturday morning who told me he was mugged a week ago by a Bravo male with a long knife as he was going up the long, straight bit of tar road to Rhodes Memorial. The guy jumped him from behind a tree and pulled him off his bike. I am aware of at least 6 incidents which occurred in the area between Rohodes Mem and the Blockhouse over the last 6-8 months . I am sure there are more of you out there who have either been attacked or know of someone who has.

I ride on the mountain at least 4 times a week and no longer take the route down to Rhodes Memorial, but now I am also starting to worry about the area around the Blockhouse. SAPS have 1 vehicle to patrol both Table Mountain and Lions Head / Signal Hill , but the vehicle is hardly ever present on the dirt tracks below Tafelberg Road. I have seen 4 SAPS motorbikes doing a patrol near the blockhouse a few weeks back, but not again since. Why all 4 need to ride together I don't understand. SAN Parks say they have 2 members strategically placed on the mountain with binoculars (1 of them supposedly sits in the little fire hut above the Blockhouse). SAN Parks knocks off at 5pm, so there are no members patrolling on the mountain after 5.

We all know where the hot spots are on the mountain, yet the authorities say that crime on the mountain is within tolerances. Controlling access to the mountain is virtually impossible, as you could theoretically walk up from Constantia Nek and commit your crime at Platteklip Gorge. I know of crimes happening in the Southern Suburbs where the suspects have been tracked on foot over the mountain to Hout Bay.

I am getting more and pissed off at the situation and the apparent lack of will shown by the authorities to get their hands dirty and fight the crime on the mountain. Carrying Pepper spray or a tazer gives you some sort of protection, but it means you have to get to within a meter or two of an attacker (most likely armed with a knife) to retaliate,assuming you are free to move and get to your spray. Not the ideal solution in my mind. Next thing someone is going to ride on the mountain armed with a gun and decide that a walker , who just popped behind a bush to have a pee, is a mugger and shoot.

I am part of the Neighbourhood Watch where I live in the City Bowl. Has the time to set up an entity to try and sort out the crime on the mountain? I have given it some thought and it is not easy to organise, but we need to do something. Anyone out there got some ideas, I would be keen to hear them.

Edited January 31, 2011 by kandui

[Bos]

I just got this e-mail from a friend>

 

 

"u hear some poor guy was attacked and stabbed in his leg just above rhodes mem yesterday morning, they stole his bike.

 

 

its getting way to dodge to ride up there by yourself, we need to recruit some big boys to ride with us"

 

 

 

 

Its getting really bad yes. I wonder If we would be able to go sit and watch and then respond. What about something like starting a BBM group, and when something happenes everyone is alerted at the same time and maybe some can try respond? I guss I dont ride with a phone because I dont want to risk getting it stolen

 

 

 

 

I dunno? any suggestions?

[Zula]

Good afternoon

 

I was born and bred in JHB and will be moving down to to Cape Town in the next 6 weeks, which will hopefully be permanantly as I've had it with this place (rant off).

 

We have had the same experience here where these thugs basically took over a certain area in JHB called Northern Farm. It was a ''secure'' area where cyclists pay a nominal amount to ride around, but these guys were sneaking in and ambushing guys left right and centre. I think at times there may have been 3 hijackings on a weekend. The farm eventually had to take action and got a patrol company to patrol the farm and I think they have been somewhat sucessfull but not entirely.

 

Now seeing as though Im moving South West, the thought of having to deal with more thugs is not really appealing to say the least. I understand the size of the area that has to be patrolled by the SAPS and it is by no means an easy task. I would recommend that a meeting be setup with the PPA to voice the concern and then maybe with their backing a meeting could arranged with SAN PArks and the SAPS? One thing I have noticed on my visits to Cape Town is the police presence and their willingness to rid the city of crime. You can in no way compare them to the monkeys we have running the show up here, so they would be IMHO the best place to start.

 

what you think?

[kandui]

Thanks for your reply. It is indeed a tough issue to tackle. I carry a cheap, R185 Nokia with a Pay as you Go number when I cycle. Starting a group and sending a message with your route when you enter the mountain is a good idea and may work. In our Neighbourhood Watch we have radios and announce when we go on patrol so that others members can monitor.Riding in a group is an obvious solution, but not always practical with everyone having different riding preferences. I am going to speak to SAPS and SAN Parks about this and keep you posted via this forum. If anyone wants to get in touch with me directly, my email address is : zulurob@iafrica.com

[Zula]

Thanks for your reply. It is indeed a tough issue to tackle. I carry a cheap, R185 Nokia with a Pay as you Go number when I cycle. Starting a group and sending a message with your route when you enter the mountain is a good idea and may work. In our Neighbourhood Watch we have radios and announce when we go on patrol so that others members can monitor.Riding in a group is an obvious solution, but not always practical with everyone having different riding preferences. I am going to speak to SAPS and SAN Parks about this and keep you posted via this forum. If anyone wants to get in touch with me directly, my email address is : zulurob@iafrica.com

 

Great good luck. If you need any help drop a mail to noched@gmail.com

 

You gotta nip these thugs in the bud and give them the idea that Table Mountain is a no go for their antics, Hopefully they get the message.

[kandui]

Hi . The situation on the mountain is not out of control yet, but if we don't get a handle on it soon, we will end up with a bigger problem.It is certainly a serious ,make no mistake. To turn the mountain into a secure area is virtually impossible as you can imagine. I am part of the CPF Executive in the City and I know there is a genuine willingness from SAPS to help the community, one has to keep on prodding until you get action.

The PPA is also an organisation to get involved, good point. The main area where attacks take place is in the vicinity of the Blockhouse and Rhodes Memorial,so at the moment crime is limited to a smallish area.Problem is , nobody patrols here from what I can see.

[nomis]

Hi . The situation on the mountain is not out of control yet, but if we don't get a handle on it soon, we will end up with a bigger problem.It is certainly a serious ,make no mistake. To turn the mountain into a secure area is virtually impossible as you can imagine. I am part of the CPF Executive in the City and I know there is a genuine willingness from SAPS to help the community, one has to keep on prodding until you get action.

The PPA is also an organisation to get involved, good point. The main area where attacks take place is in the vicinity of the Blockhouse and Rhodes Memorial,so at the moment crime is limited to a smallish area.Problem is , nobody patrols here from what I can see.

 

Hello

I was riding down the path between the upper and middle jeep track on Saturday afternoon (below the block house) and saw a man (in blue) come out of the bushes at the bottom (near the beacon). I managed to avoid him, but he was clearly interested in me (not in a nice way).

 

The important issue, which I would like kandui and anyone else dealing with security on the mountain to highlight to the CPF, is that I reported this to the police (Cape Town Central) and gave the specific location of the incident. It was clear that the officer taking my call had no intention of following up and it is with great sadness that I read of the attack this morning, because this is exactly what I was hoping to avoid.

 

Please contact me if you would like more information.

[leet22]

I just got this e-mail from a friend>

 

 

"u hear some poor guy was attacked and stabbed in his leg just above rhodes mem yesterday morning, they stole his bike.

 

 

its getting way to dodge to ride up there by yourself, we need to recruit some big boys to ride with us"

 

 

 

 

Its getting really bad yes. I wonder If we would be able to go sit and watch and then respond. What about something like starting a BBM group, and when something happenes everyone is alerted at the same time and maybe some can try respond? I guss I dont ride with a phone because I dont want to risk getting it stolen

 

 

 

 

I dunno? any suggestions?

Yea a few snipers with 50 browning s on top of the block house etc

[Bos]

I wonder what one of those solar powered web cam CCTV vibes cost? Im not expecting it to be cheap.. but a few of those might be a step in the right direction, although its impossible to cover all areas.

 

Im especially worried about the winter months comming up.. Bad light etc.. Although the thugs dont seem to be wondering out to early or late.

[Capricorn]

Bos: most CCTV cameras run off 10-15 V DC and require about 1A of power. No need for a purpose built solar powered unit. They can be run off batteries of suitable size, and a suitably sized solar panel can be used to trickle charge the battery. long story short: the technology is readily available to make this a not_that_expensive endeavour.

However, the question is: where do u put the camera?

 

I like the idea of cheap cellphones on your person. Most perps just want what they can grab in a hurry and then sod off. Only the hardcore calculated types will take their sweet time making sure you not hiding something they want, especially if you are female These guys are not pro cyclists. They criminals of opportunity. If neighbourhoods where dirt tracks are known to exit could be alerted to a robbery in the area, they can keep a look out.

 

Group rides are unfortunately the only pragmatic deterrent, but it's not 100% either.

[Shebeen]

I subscribe to a google group of table mountain safety. it's not a bad idea, but doesn't seem to catch all the incidents/actions.

 

http://groups.google.com/group/TableMountainWatch

 

 

I don't think there's much point in a bike specific variation to this theme.

 

being anonymous it could of course become a problem if the thieves knew that we knew their every move, but what can you do? (i also don't think these guys are on the net, who knows)

 

has anyone ever been attacked in tokai?

Edited January 31, 2011 by SteveCT

[Mojoman]

One needs to get cops, politicians, people with some influence riding there. Otherwise I don't see how you could ever change anything, be it CT or JHB.

Of course, realistically none of the porky pork or gobbie politicians will ever do anything related to exercise...

[kandui]

Hello

I was riding down the path between the upper and middle jeep track on Saturday afternoon (below the block house) and saw a man (in blue) come out of the bushes at the bottom (near the beacon). I managed to avoid him, but he was clearly interested in me (not in a nice way).

 

The important issue, which I would like kandui and anyone else dealing with security on the mountain to highlight to the CPF, is that I reported this to the police (Cape Town Central) and gave the specific location of the incident. It was clear that the officer taking my call had no intention of following up and it is with great sadness that I read of the attack this morning, because this is exactly what I was hoping to avoid.

 

Please contact me if you would like more information.

 

Hi Nomis

I sit on the Cape Town CPF Executive and am also a member of the Tamboerskloof Neighbourhood Watch. As a NW we called a meeting at the end of last year to hear from SAPS and SAN Parks what their plans were for mountain security over the festive season. Let me say that as a CPF and NW we have an excellent working relationship with SAPS. They are committed and appreciate the fact that we as residents are prepared to not only complain, but get in there and help them. At the meeting the issue of jurisdiction was discussed and here is the first problem. Most of us (residents) and tourists think that any incident on Table Mountain needs to be reported to Caledon Square and in the end it is mostly that SAPS station which picks up all the flack. Their jurisdiction ends below Devils Peak, to make it simple let's say their boundary is the boom at the end of Tafelberg Road. From there it is Woodstock station who is responsible and then Mowbray for incidents close to Rhodes Memorial. You see the problem? 3 SAPS stations are in charge of Mountain security within a 1-2 km stretch and I bet you they are not looking at the mountain each morning thinking they have to patrol up there. They have enough problems where there are tar roads and houses. SAN Parks are making the right noises , but are hopelessly understaffed and in my opinion are not thinking out of the box when it comes to curbing the crime problem on the mountain.

What if 4 police stations who faced the mountain (Central,Woodstock,Mowbray and Rondebosch) gave 1 member and SAN Parks gave 2 members to form a Table Mountain Response Team? Add one vehicle (preferably a bakkie) and you could deploy 2 in the vehicle and 2 two man teams on foot. Kit them out with radios (which they already have), get Cape Storm,First Ascent, or Cape Union Mart to sponsor some suitable clothing and hiking boots (SAN Parks may be sponsored by HiTec). Get the Camelbak agent to donate 6 Mules and you have a tight , well equipped unit which is deployed at known hot spots.The vehicle team have a cell phone and the number is advertised on forums, in outdoor and cycling shops, on the radio and on signs planted on Tafelberg Road and on the trails below and above. Crime occurs mostly in the daytime hours and patrols should start at sunrise and end at sunset. The team can be deployed all over the mountain slopes within a short time and focus on hot spots or move around as crime patterns shift. I think a team like that could prove highly effective and prove aspirational for other SAPS and SAN PArks members.

[kandui]

I subscribe to a google group of table mountain safety. it's not a bad idea, but doesn't seem to catch all the incidents/actions.

 

http://groups.google.com/group/TableMountainWatch

 

 

I don't think there's much point in a bike specific variation to this theme.

 

being anonymous it could of course become a problem if the thieves knew that we knew their every move, but what can you do? (i also don't think these guys are on the net, who knows)

 

has anyone ever been attacked in tokai?

 

Would an sms based group not be a good idea, where cyclists can send a message to say they are on the mountain and get a reply back from other members who are out there too? It provides some sense of security if you can't join a group.

[kandui]

Anyone out there keen to do a group ride in the Rhodes Memorial area on a weekend morning to show solidarity with attack victims and to show criminals who the mountain belongs to?

[Bos]

One of my good friends was attacked in Paradyskloof -Stellenbosh last night. The guys ambushed him, Hit him in the face with a pole, Knocked his teeth F*cked, then ripped off his fullface helmet and stole his Green Santacruze bullet with gray RS Totem.

 

Im so Angry I feel like Squashing my F*cking mouse in my right hand. I will kill those okes If I find him..