A joint operation involving Fish Hoek police, Fish Hoek community policing forum (CPF), law enforcement and the Public Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has resulted in arrests and the confiscation of illegal substances.
The Clovelly Bridge, opposite Clovelly Road, was abuzz with law enforcement and Fish Hoek police vehicles on Tuesday 17 September when a blitz operation was carried out in the area.
Andre Blom, Fish Hoek CPF chairperson, explained: “We’re doing a clean-up. We’ve received a lot of complaints from the public about the people who live under the bridge. They are building structures (under the bridge) and diverting the water flow, which is illegal.”
Fish Hoek police’s station commander, Lt Col Jacqui Johnson, said the operation also involved Fish Hoek’s department of social development.
Once the vagrants were vacated from the area, the department would seek to assist them by placing them in programmes or homes, provided they had not committed any crimes.
Blom said, during the operation, they confiscated a number of construction tools, including spades and a hand-saw, that had been used to divert the natural flow of the water and to build sand structures to live in.
He added: “We have found some illegal substances and we have arrested one or two people.
“Fortunately, we have a good law enforcement force in our community.
“If you look at all the complaints surrounding the Clovelly Bridge and the crime and drugs that come from this area – we’re now starting to clean it up.”
He said it took them a few months to plan the operation but that it would not be the end of it.
“We have a beautiful town. The crime is just unacceptable.”
Another blitz operation took place on Friday 20 September in a continued effort to address the concerns of Fish Hoek and Clovelly residents.
