“If Stellenbosch sneezes, the rest of the country catches a cold,” says Clint Lemmer, Director and CEO of ABC Security Stellenbosch. These deeply resonant words reflect something much greater than crime within Stellenbosch. They shed light on the ripple effect that crime incidents in Stellenbosch have across South Africa, in turn, underscoring the broader impact of local safety challenges, that can shift in nature depending on whether it is mid-semester, or during the holiday period.
Amongst the overwhelming noise that is Golden Week and the start of a new semester, comes the collateral damage that is the quietening of the undeniably present crime incidents occurring in and around Stellenbosch. According to ABC security, students, as a demographic, are “definitely, without a doubt” specifically vulnerable to crime in Stellenbosch.
With the increasing demand for security on campus, ABC Security launched an initiative, in the form of a subscription-model ABC Mobile Secure App. “The student registers, if they feel threatened, they can push the panic button and ABC gets a coordinate of where they are”.
Dr Gretha Groeneveld, a resident of Stellenbosch, has a PhD in Spatial Crime Research and is heavily instrumental to the development of crime prevention and awareness within Stellenbosch. She is applying her expertise in spatial data to map crime patterns, as well as to introduce an AI-driven platform known as Community Wolf. According to Dr Groeneveld, it is difficult to gauge exact crime numbers due to insufficient access to quality data. That being said, there are apparent changes in the nature of crimes that occur over the holiday breaks. Over the semester break, “there are less people around, less potential victims, less potential things to steal.” Dr Groeneveld notes that over the holidays, “something like property crime might spike, because people aren’t home.” Whereas, during the term, students may become more relaxed, and potentially complacent, “Once you’ve had a drink or two, you’re less vigilant.”
Ultimately, the most powerful defence against crime in Stellenbosch is awareness. Be sure to utilise the QR code resources provided below. When students pack their bags and leave Stellenbosch for the holidays, crime does not follow suit, but rather lingers in the air, quietly shifting forms and adapting. This is why it is of fundamental importance that the community of Stellenbosch, specifically the student body, adapts along with it.
By Zara Leask Baggesen
