UMHLANGA councillor Heinz de Boer has called for resident-participation in Somerset Park as efforts to combat crime in the area continue.
De Boer was speaking at a community meeting at Immanuel Church following a number of house break-ins and robberies that have been reported in the area in the last few weeks.
He said the aim of the meeting was for residents to come together and see what they can do about crime alienation in the area.
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“We are all affected by crime and we as the community need to come together to find a solution. No one is immune to crime, whether you are rich or poor, everyone needs to get involved in the fight against crime. When communities come together, they become the eyes of the police,” de Boer said.
Present at the meeting was Durban North/Umhlanga CPF chairman Haden Searles who said it was critical for the residents to get involved in the fight against crime.
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“We have had five house break-ins and one house robbery in the last four weeks in this area and that is bad. Somerset Park need to take a leaf out of other areas’s books.
“We had similar issues in Sunningdale until one of my neighbours was murdered 200 yards away from my house. The community came together in the fight against crime and made Sunningdale one of the safest areas to live in. That incident galvanised the community to start a neighbourhood watch and there is nothing stopping you from doing the same,” said Searles.
