Armed response officers from Atlas Security joined forces with local authorities last week to address escalating crime in Nelson Mandela Bay’s Ward 6, with a targeted operation against vagrant-related criminal activity in the Overbaakens and Fairview areas.
In the most recent safety operation on Wednesday, 5 November, Metro Police officers and Ward 6 Councillor Gerhard Engelbrecht, saw vagrants removed from informal camps as part of ongoing quarterly safety operations.
“Our Armed Response Officers were out in full force this morning, assisting with community safety in Nelson Mandela Bay, focusing on vagrant management,” Atlas Security announced on social media. “We’re committed to keeping our communities safe and secure, working hand in hand with local authorities to make a difference every day.”
Speaking to the PE Express, Engelbrecht revealed that the safety operations were aimed at three key hotspots where homeless individuals typically congregate: Oak Road, Pine Road, and the Third Avenue bridge area.
The challenge, he explained, is that vagrants simply move between these locations, requiring regular follow-up visits often involving the Department of Human Settlements to remove illegal structures.
Crime hotspot challenges
Engelbrecht explained the connection between vagrants and local crime rates.
“Vagrants are a serious problem in the area because they are responsible for petty crime,” he said, pointing to the numerous overgrown areas in Overbaakens and Fairview that provide cover for criminal activity.
According to Engelbrecht, Overbaakens and Fairview are the areas with “the most criminal activity” in Ward 6.
The area’s crime problems are exacerbated by failing infrastructure, including non-functioning streetlights and overgrown vacant plots that create ideal conditions for criminal elements to operate.
“Yesterday, for example, in broad daylight we had a robbery at a petrol station,” Engelbrecht revealed, referring to Tuesday, 4 November. However, he expressed frustration that such crimes often go unreported to SAPS, creating a cycle that hampers effective policing.
He urges residents and businesses to open criminal cases to demonstrate the scale of the problem.
“If more people open cases, then we can receive more foot patrols or SAPS vehicles.”
Engelbrecht highlighted ongoing municipal budget constraints that allegedly prevented crucial infrastructure improvements.
“Despite annual requests for bush clearing, fire break cutting and streetlight repairs every year there is no budget,” he said, leaving the community vulnerable to criminal exploitation.
As the Overbaakens and Fairview areas continue developing, they face the challenge of managing urban growth whilst preventing crime from taking root.
Engelbrecht further noted that previous safety operations have yielded significant results, including the discovery of “a serious criminal” during an earlier sweep of the area.
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