Lavender Hill and Steenberg community members marched to Steenberg Police Station on Monday 10 January to demand policing in a community they say is riddled with violence and crime.
Organiser of the event Yaaseen Staggie from the 7945 Community Action Group said police are severely under resourced.
“The reason we had the demonstration is because the police station serves four sectors, but there are only two police vehicles to police that whole area. Our safety and security lies with our police. We have a right to live without violence.”
Staggie says they handed over a memorandum of demands.
“It’s extremely traumatising living here. Teenagers can’t cross the road to visit friends on the other side, because one side of the street belongs to a different gang.
“Last year, a group of friends were killed. On 15 January one was shot, in May another and in July the third.
“They took a picture together and now they are no more. They have been stolen from their families.”
Staggie says they are living in a lawless community.
“We receive junk status service, there are only two vans to patrol five big communities.
“I don’ blame the police, they need more manpower at the station.”
He added that their memorandum of demands included visible policing before and after school.
“We want to see police visibility each morning before school starts and after school.”
He added that the community also wants Steenberg police to be investigated.
“Steenberg police need to be under investigation, some are in cahoots with gang members. We want to see guns confiscated to be destroyed because those same guns end up back in the community. If anyone goes to the police with information, they are killed and dockets disappear.”
Steenberg Police Station spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg said protestors handed over a memorandum at the station.
“On Monday, at about 10:00, approximately 20-30 members of the Steenberg and Lavender Hill communities protested outside Steenberg Police Station in Cradock Road where they handed over a memorandum to the station commander.
“No police action was taken as it was a peaceful protest.”
