Councillor demands police action in Menlo Park as security officers bust drug dealer
A private security company has made a major drug-related arrest in a Menlo Park area long plagued by crime, while residents and a local councillor accuse the police of turning a blind eye.
Ward 82 Councillor Siobhan Muller is calling for police enforcement in Menlo Park as the community labels the area a crime hotspot.
This as Complete Security Intelligence (CSI) held an operation in the area on June 30, during which a suspect was arrested for selling dagga in 13th Avenue. According to Gerhard Rossouw, operations manager at CSI, the arrest was made after their control room received a tip-off from a concerned client.
“Response units swiftly responded and gathered intelligence that led to the discovery of a bag containing 34 pre-packed dagga bankies (small plastic bags)” he said. The suspect was apprehended, and the dagga taken to Brooklyn Police Station.
“This significant find is a big blow to the ongoing drug and gambling problem in 13th Avenue,” Rossouw said.
Muller welcomed the arrest but criticised the apparent lack of law enforcement visibility and response in the area, stating, “People gamble there every day, through the afternoon into the night, and they trade drugs openly.”
She said some hawkers are registered, but many are aggressive individuals who demand money from people who pass by.
Muller said both SAPS and the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) are routinely notified about the situation, but fail to act.
“The police, if they’re called, simply patrol past and go away. They do nothing. TMPD behaves much the same way. It’s extremely difficult to get anyone to respond meaningfully. Residents have complained. I’ve seen it myself,” she said.
“Brooklyn Police Station needs to take responsibility for crime, and they’re not doing so. They just drive past and drive away,” Muller said.
Police comment had not been received at the time of publishing.
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