Philip Bam, spokesperson, Grassy Park Community Police Forum
The Grassy Park Community Police Forum (CPF) noted with dismay and concern the killing on Sunday August 5, of a
27-year-old in what appears to be a gang-related shooting in Grassy Park. Another 24-year-old was shot in the leg and taken to hospital.
This death comes in the wake of many reported shootings in the past few weeks in our police area. Our condolences to the family of the deceased and our commiseration with the young man who was injured and his family.
The CPF would like to appeal to our youth to consider the consequences of gangsterism. It is not at all as rosy as portrayed by gang bosses who lure our young people into a life of crime and drugs. Parents are traumatised, families are torn apart and our community suffers all the time as the potential of gang shooting is very real in our neighbourhoods.
We wish our youth to know that there is a better life.
Gangsterism does not pay. There are facilities available in the community to assist youngsters who wish to opt out of gangsterism and drugs.
While the CPF thanks the police for dealing with the proliferation of guns in our area, it is clear that whatever strategies the police are applying is not being effective. The police must be more creative in its efforts to rid our communities of the guns in circulation among gangsters. There must be a zero tolerance towards gangsterism.
We call for the application of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act which makes it a criminal offence to belong to a gang. Too many youngsters go around bragging about gang membership. This is not good for our people. It has been proven recently that a sustained search-and-seize approach can be successful. Suspicious people on our streets should be stopped and searched. In this way drugs and guns can be removed from our streets.
The CPF also calls upon our community to be observant and report suspicious activity to the police. Together we can make our area safer.