Station commander welcomes community involvement in fight against drugs
Cleveland SAPS station commander, Colonel Bongani Dlamini, welcomed an initiative launched by the Chinese Community Police Forum to tackle drugs.
The forum launched the All Chinese in South Africa Anti-Drug Day campaign in Cyrildene on June 26.
The campaign was launched to highlight the effect drugs is having on the Chinese community throughout Johannesburg.
Forum members said the number of youth in the community who have fallen victim to drugs, is shocking.
Members said they had to intervene and hope to stop people from taking drugs by educating them and, where possible, by taking them to organisations where they can seek professional help and support.
Col Dlamini admitted that drugs are a problem in the precinct. He said he is concerned about the drugs that have found its way into schools and homes. “Drugs are either killing our children or destroying their future,” he said.
He commended the forum for implementing a “crisis response plan”.
“Addressing drugs is the responsibility of the entire community and not just the police. We need to join hands and take a stand against drug abuse. It is unrealistic to expect SAPS alone to maintain a safe environment without the community’s help. This project should be made a top priority. It should be taken to schools. Side by side we can overcome the obstacles and rebuild this community. We can work together to make our community free of drugs,” said Col Dlamini.
Cleveland SAPS management committed to working closely with the Cyrildene community and others to tackle drugs.
