Muizenberg police have increased visibility along the catwalk between Muizenberg and St James after a spate of robberies.
Captain Stephen Knapp of Muizenberg police said the robberies along the beachfront were a concern.
During the week ending July 27, there had been further incidents on the catwalk, all during the day, and as a result police had been patrolling that area.
On Thursday July 21, at 3.45pm, a family were threatened by three men as they were walking along the catwalk near St James. The men threatened to kill them and ran away with their bags and cellphones.
On Friday afternoon, July 22, opposite Bailey’s Cottage, two men threatened to stab someone walking on the catwalk, stealing his phone but giving the SIM card back. In the last incident, on Sunday morning, July 24, on the Main Road side of the catwalk, near one of the tunnels, a man blocking one of the tunnels leading off the catwalk threatened a walker, demanding his camera. When the walker said he didn’t have a camera, the robber took his cellphone.
The victim contacted the Mountain Men who found and arrested the alleged robber who is a resident of Hillview.
Other common robberies along the Muizenberg beachfront oc-curred in Melrose, York and Royal roads.
In Melrose Road on Saturday July 23, at 8.30pm, someone was tripped from behind and the robber stole a cellphone, with it all happening so quickly that the cellphone owner didn’t have a chance to see the robber.
York Road was the scene of a struggle on Sunday July 24, at 2am. A group of friends had parked their car and after the passenger got out, the driver noticed someone leaning in the passenger door trying to steal his wallet.
They fought and while they were fighting, a second person leaned in through the driver’s window, trying to take the car keys out of the ignition. The driver turned his attention to this person while the other got away with his wal- let.
Also on Sunday, around lunch-time, at Sunrise beach, a woman and her son were threatened by two men who demanded her money. She was scared and gave them her cellphone and her son’s jack- et.
For the second time, a white car with a woman in the passenger seat pointing a firearm was behind a robbery, said Captain Knapp. Last time the car was identified as a white Toyota Corolla. This time a woman was walking in Royal Road on Saturday July 23, at 3pm, when the white car pulled up and the woman passenger with the firearm demanded the pedestrian’s cellphone.
“People need to be alert and aware of their surroundings when they are walking.
“Try not to walk with valuables and please report suspicious people hanging around,” said Captain Knapp.