Senior police officials met with community leaders in Sophiatown on November 10, to confront Gauteng’s growing gang violence, but the gathering left some Westbury residents frustrated over what they say was poor communication and limited inclusion.
This morning, the Police Ministry sat down with community representatives from Westbury for a Q & A session, however, local activist and resident Eugene Dooms, of the One Force SA Movement, which deals with crime prevention and service delivery, said he only learned about the meeting on the morning it took place. “I was taken by surprise.
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As community leaders and activists, we’re supposed to be informed about these engagements, so we can bring forward real solutions from the people living through this every day.
“The murders in our area have gone from bad to worse – it’s heartbreaking. Since the inception of the Government of National Unity (GNU), killings have escalated.”
Dooms added that, despite regular communication between One Force Movement and SAPS, police visibility remains low.
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“We give SAPS intel all the time, but their response is often lacklustre. When we call about incidents, it can take two or three hours for a van to arrive — if one arrives at all. Something needs to change drastically. We need tangible solutions.”
Members of the SAPS asked the media to step outside during the initial part of the meeting to allow private discussions with community representatives.
The Northcliff Melville Times journalist will remain on site, awaiting further details once the talks concluded.
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