Groundhog Day in Port Alfred

AS we looked back on 2012 for our year in review edition, TotT staff reflected on how often we feel caught up in our own Groundhog Day, where the same things come up again and again.

The same thing is experienced when we compare one year to the next, especially when there are annual events that take place around the same time every year and, with a small pool of reporters, we often end up covering the same events from year to year.

We sometimes feel the humour in the sense of déjà vu, but other times it is quite sobering when we see the same promises made again and again by the powers-that-be, but nothing ever changes.

One of those times is seeing the response of the police and municipality to alcohol-fuelled chaos at the beachfront over the holiday season.

Over the past few years the same promises have been made over and over about taking a "zero tolerance” approach to drunk and disorderly behaviour, noise disturbances and taking alcohol onto the beach, but we still see the same behaviour being repeated year after year with no consequences for the perpetrators.

New Year's Day is always chaotic, and the authorities have focused all their efforts on planning for that day, but seem to have been oblivious to the fact the revelry starts early in the season, with busloads of people arriving in Port Alfred for end-of-year parties at the public braai areas and beaches.

The police and the municipality, which are equally responsible for enforcing the bylaws on noise and drinking, have allowed the situation to deteriorate because they have tolerated bad behaviour for so long.

Revellers who come to Port Alfred know they can get away with drinking openly in public places, littering their glass liquor bottles on the beach, urinating and defecating in public, and other anti-social behaviour.

It is exactly this type of behaviour that took place at the West Beach parking lot on Sunday night, leading up to Reconciliation Day.

Facebook was full of reports by local and holidaymakers who told of their horrible experiences trying to go for a meal at Guido's or simply driving along Beach Road and past the West Beach parking lot.

There were at least two reports of bottles being thrown at passing motorists and several Facebook posters said there was no sign of any law enforcement. Calls to the police station went unanswered, they said.

In response, the municipality has increased the number of marshals it has appointed from four to 20, and promised they will help the police with law and order. We hope it works out.

- Jon Houzet