No hope for Hope Street?

I have been living on Hope Street, Gardens for a little over two years now and stay in an awesome building right next to the government parking lot. I love it! What I don’t love is the fact that my car has been broken in to 5 times over the past years, the night of July 15th being the latest incident.
For some reason I always assumed moving from an area like Obz to Gardens would decrease any car related incidences. Apparently I was wrong. Unfortunately I have to park my car on the street and it usually happens to be the only car out late at night. That is a fact I cannot change and I have taken proper precaution with decent insurance, a gear lock, and there is never any stuff lying around in my car (except for a Pavarotti CD which thieves don’t seem to appreciate as it has been in there, not stolen, for a year). It doesn’t matter. The car gets broken it to, nothing is taken, but I am left with the hassle of yet another window to repair (the guy at PG Glass and I have become very good friends over time!) and an uneasy feeling in the neighbourhood I live in.
I know that break-ins are a reality we have to live with in South Africa, but on Hope Street it has gotten a bit out of hand (a tenant in my building even called it notorious).

So instead of a wish list for Santa, I am doing one for the City of Cape Town this year.

Dear City of Cape Town,
I pay my rent and my taxes so it shouldn’t matter if I was naughty or nice, thus I wish…

… You would check up more on all the people who live on and sometimes lurk around Hope Street and its side streets.

… You (and Helen Zille) would had taken my tweets more serious, which I have been sending for weeks, asking for the street lights to be turned back on. If I have visitors they will usually call from the car and wait for me to buzz before they come to the door, because the street is so dark and scary. How can Table Mountain be lit yet I have no lights on my street??

… The police would not take 5 minutes on the phone to spell Hope Street and be able to react faster and overall show more presence on Hope Street, so it can stop being notorious.

… That the two security guards who were on duty that last Sunday night at the government parking lot would have actually cared and helped. Yes, I know, technically that is not their responsibility as it happened outside the parking area. Still, from a security company paid by the government I would at least expect them to pick up the phone and call the police if not help in any other way.

Dear city, don’t you know that Hope Street is awesome? It’s in the middle of town close to Parliament and Company Gardens with businesses, cafes, and residents. Can you please do something? Anything so residents and visitors can feel safe here again, because I know, I certainly don’t right now.

Thank you for your caring!?