Fighting crime one day at a time

WITH an uncanny habit of finding himself in the right place at the right time, local resident Dean Maddocks is keeping an eye on the safety and well-being of the community.

Formally a security officer, Dean took his love for security outdoors when he began patrolling the streets of Empangeni and Richards Bay on his bicycle 14 years ago.

When taking time out from his day job at Ola Everest Ice Cream, Dean hits the streets to look for unruly behaviour and petty crime incidents.

Now in his 15th year of patrolling, Dean, who is also known by his street names Deano, Cijimpi and Sbari, has come across a fair number of interesting cases and in the process, has recovered stolen goods, marshalled big local events and assisted with traffic control, to name just a few.

Passionate about what he does for his community, Dean hopes to continue doing what he loves best for as long as possible.