Theft on Cape Town’s most popular beaches has skyrocketed in recent weeks, in part because tourists seem to think that there is little risk to their possessions. Thieves at Camps Bay and the nearby Clifton beaches observe what people leave behind when they go in for a swim, then help themselves. Such carelessness is compounded by the fact that there are only four police officers on duty for the long stretch of beach at Camps Bay, and they also have to patrol Table Mountain, where several muggings have been reported this year.
