Metro, residents partner to take back the city
Metro Police's Capt Dingaan has reassured residents Metro Police are working on the issue of vagrants.
RESIDENTS who supported the Bulwer Communicty Safety Forum meeting on Tuesday evening were addressed by Captain Motsamai Dingaan who discussed the campaign Metro Police have embarked on to claim back the city.
Many people have raised their concerns on the whereabouts of the whoonga addicts and vagrants who have been removed from King Dinuzulu (Botha’s) Park by Metro Police, but Capt Dingaan reassured them that they should not be fearful.
“Yes, it is a reality that these men have been dispersed all over, but we will win this war. The project was started by Metro Police in partnership with SAPS on Friday, and we will continue to clean the area out for the next month,” he said.
Capt Dingaan said the 90 men who were removed from the park in a co-ordinated raid by police and municipal services, would be relocated to the areas they come from, such as Umlazi.
He said 90 per cent of the men living in the park were South Africans and only about 10 per cent were foreign nationals.
“We are trying to assist these people. It is going to be an ongoing process, day and night, but a property in the South has been identified for these men to be relocated to in time. We will get our city back, we just need the public to contact the police if they see people in the area who they think don’t belong there,” he said.
Chairperson, Heather Rorick, said the Mzansi security guards would be in Davenport Road, to help curb the crime happening in the road by 15 July.
“Mzansi is working with the Bulwer Community Safety Forum, Umbilo CPF, Metro Police and SAPS, and will have the ‘bobby on the beat’ as well as a patrol car and dog unit. A lot of businesses have come on board. The more people who join, the more we can expand this initiative into side streets. We are taking back our neighbourhood one street at a time,” she said.
Rorick mentioned the need to get more patrollers on the team and urged residents 18 years and older, who are fit, able and willing, to join the vehicle and foot patrols.
“We have four cars and up to 20 patrollers, so we encourage people who are willing to use their cars to join us. Patrolling opens your eyes, what you learn empowers you,” she said.
If you are interested in joining patrols, contact Heather on 074 203 2792, 084 258 1097 or email: bulwercommunity@gmail.com
