SAPS fails to combat drug problem in Eldorado Park

11 April 2018

The Eldorado Park community is under siege by the scourge of drugs, yet the South African Police Services (SAPS) is failing to tackle this growing problem.

Residents of Eldorado Park claim that there is no police visibility in the area and the police are not doing enough to fight crime and drugs in the area.

There are many incidents of violence, including stabbings, in the area.

It is alarming that Eldorado SAPS made 2229 arrests for drug-related crimes from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 which is 50 percent of the drug arrests made in the entire Gauteng province during that period.

While we applaud the number of arrests made, this statistic indicates that the area is drug infested and the SAPS are struggling in their attempts to effectively eradicate the drug problem.

This already under-resourced and under-staffed police station has 29 schools in the precinct of which 8 high schools are facing a serious drug problem.

This police station is in dire need of support from the Department of Community Safety to win the battle against drugs.

The establishment of specialised narcotics units, as well as specialised training must become a reality if the war on drugs is to be won.

There is a need to effectively rehabilitate the drug users so that they won’t go back to drugs as this will ultimately reduce the drug problem in the area.

The DA calls on the Gauteng Community Safety MEC, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane and Gauteng SAPS Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Deliwe de Lange to intervene as a matter of urgency in assisting the community of Eldorado Park in fighting drugs and drug-related crime within their communities.

Issued by Michele Clarke, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Community Safety, 11 April 2018