Durban - The metro police have urged residents to report beggars begging at traffic intersections.
This comes after a video of an attempted smash-and-grab at the N3 Tollgate bridge intersection went viral on social media. In the dash cam video, a beggar is standing on the pavement and when a car stops because the robot turns red, he is seen trying four times to bash the car’s window with his hand. The motorist jerks forward and the beggar returns to his “spot” to continue begging.
People commenting on social media lambast metro police for not upholding by-laws regarding beggars at robots and intersections.
Durban metro police spokesperson Superintendent Boysie Zungu said they did uphold by-laws, but they needed information of infringements to do so.
“We need the information before we can act. We ask that people phone our control room on 031 361 0000 to report violations of by-laws and we will deploy officers to the location.”
Zungu also urged residents to report such infringements to police, instead of venting on social media, so they could take action.
Heather Roos, chairperson of the Umbilo Community Policing Forum (CPF), said the Tollgate bridge intersection was a problem when it came to smash-and-grabs.
“When the incidents flare up, police are deployed there and then it dies down. The biggest problem is the beggars. People keep giving them money which encourages them to continue begging there - and for more of them to be there,” she said.
She said with it getting darker earlier now, the “smashers” at robots capitalised on this during peak afternoon traffic.
Roos said after taking up the matter with the Umbilo SAPS and metro police she was promised that police operations would be increased.
The following intersections were listed as problematic: StJohn’s Avenue in Pinetown, the N2 and M7, M7 and Wakesleigh Road, Titren Road and M7, M7 and South Coast Road.
Commenting on the Facebook post, Jesse Paton said people lacked basic common sense by expecting police to be stationed at robots all day. “Even if a van is stationed there, someone will complain that police are sitting and doing nothing because they called 10111 to complain about their mother-in-law harassing them and the cops didn’t pitch because they were too busy eating chicken by Tollgate.”