RESIDENTS living between Sydenham Heights and Georgehill Road say they are afraid of outing drug dealers and peddlers in the area, for fear of getting killed.
In a heated Community Policing Forum meeting outside the Sherwood Hall yesterday (Tuesday), residents said police were aware of who the drug lords in the areas were.
A resident said at least two people were gunned down after reporting drug-related crimes to the Sydenham SAPS.
A Sydenham Heights resident said her daughter was pointed out by a known drug dealer after she spoke out about crime in the area.
"My daughter was walking home and he pointed her out and said he knew who her mother was," the woman said.
Another resident said a local was shot dead in his sleep after he tipped police off about a murder.
"They pointed out where he lived. The criminals waited for him to sleep and then they shot him. He did not broadcast what he had told police. Yet the criminals knew where he lived and shot him dead in his sleep," she said.
Residents have tasked Sydenham SAPS Vispol Head, Colonel Greg Joseph, with escalating the ongoing shootings to district level. Others are demanding that the army be called in.
During his address to the irate community, Joseph conceded that the police force in the area was not equipped to handle the surge in shootings.
IOL reported that community members say more than 20 people have been killed in the past three months alone, as the Hard Livings gangsters try to wrest control over the lucrative illicit drug trade in Sydenham – west of the city – from the Sydenham Heights Boys.
"We have no manpower. We have no capacity to deal with this type of situation. We have asked for urgent intervention and are hoping for at least 20 to 30 more officers to be deployed to the area," he said.
According to Metro Police, there will be an increase in foot patrols in Moses Kotane (Sparks) and Randles roads. Safer Cities and eThekwini Municipality management have also promised to step up the visibility of drug and firearm-related units as well as release funding for more operations.
eThekwini CPF Cluster chairperson, Imtiaz Syed, said the community have lost faith in the police because they don't feel protected.
He called for senior officers to be appointed at a higher level who residents can share valuable intelligence with.
| IOL