CRIME has significantly decreased along the M4 and the extended cycling track along Riverside Road, said Brian Daish, chairman of the sector 4 Greenwood Park CPF last week.

This is since a series of violent muggings, involving cyclists, raised concern and outrage among the community earlier in the year. Between January and May, the Northglen News reported on 11 incidents.

In June, authorities met to set an action plan in motion to combat the issue. On Friday, various stakeholders met along the cycle track on Riverside Road to celebrate the progress of the initiative.

According to Daish, there hasn’t been a single mugging reported since the programme was initiated at the end of June.

To eradicate the problem, various stakeholders, including the Durban North, Greenwood Park and Durban Central SAPS, The Durban Green Corridor, ward councillor, Shaun Ryley, the Greenwood Park CPF, eThekwini Municipality Parks Department’s Natural Resources Unit, Umgeni Estuary Conservancy as well as the roads and stormwater maintenance department combined their efforts.

Police conducted several sweeps and undercover operations in the area to discourage criminal and unwanted elements, while efforts were also focused on clearing vegetation and litter in the area.

“We have been banging on this project for two years. Regular operations have been conducted to reduce crime in the area. The SAPS has done a lot of work, but they need assistance from the community to keep up their efforts. They don’t have enough resources to do it on their own,” he said.

Daish urged the community to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately. “I have noticed that people tend to turn to social media before they report crime or potential criminal activities. It should be people’s first priority to report crime and suspicious activities to the police,” he said.

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