MORE than 100 Wentworth residents were left disappointed on Monday evening, 23 March, when guest of honour, Brigadier James Sayer, was a no-show at a public meeting.
The meeting was organised by the Communities Building Credible Organisation (CBCO) following comments made by Brig Sayer on a recent episode of Carte Blanche. Residents hoped the brigadier would apologise for saying gangs were not responsible for recent shootings in Wentworth. Community activist, Desmond D’Sa said he had received confirmation that he would be present at the meeting to do just that, but received an email that afternoon saying the brigadier would not be in attendance.
D’Sa said Brig Sayer’s words in his televised interview were hurtful. “They are hurtful to the people who have lost their children to gangsterism. They are hurtful to our community and what he said is untrue,” he said, but added that the meeting was not aimed at shaming the police force, but to build a better working relationship between the police and community. “The problems of Wentworth can only be solved as a collective,” he added.
He urged Brig Sayer to come forward and publicly apologise for his words. The Sun sent an email to Brig Sayer, asking for comment and is awaiting his response.
Wentworth police station commander Colonel Singh, who was present at the meeting, said he was glad to hear the community members talking about presenting an unified force against gangs and crime and said the community and police must take collective responsibility for the problems in Wentworth.
