A group of Ottery residents have demanded the dismissal of Grassy Park SAPS commander amid a bloody gang war which has led to the deaths of three innocent people.
The group led by Pastor Paul Phillips picketed outside the cop shop on Wednesday night where they submitted a list of demands to the cluster commander.
They claim Grassy Park Police no longer have the ability to address crime and gangsterism in the area, and said the community has no confidence in station commander Colonel Dawood Laing and his team.
They demand that all staff at the station be moved due to alleged corruption, SAPS intervention in the ongoing shootings and that Ottery be declared a red zone.
However, Laing has rubbished the allegations and believes that many in the group are simply covering for skollies.
“It is a small group who have made these claims and the truth is I have been the one begging residents to work with us so we can get the gunmen,” he tells Daily Voice.
“During this time, our teams have been hard at work making several gun arrests, which I have spoken about publicly.
“I warned that if people do not come out and piemp the gangsters, we would see innocent people dying.
“We treat every scene with respect, whether it’s a dead gangster or an innocent person and we are just as sad when we must stand over bodies.”
After four decades service in SAPS, Laing says communities who rely solely on police to combat gangsterism are disillusioned.
“I have been doing this for 40 years and since 1992 specialising in gangs, and I can tell you the police alone can never solve the problem.
“The truth is there are other socio-economic factors that play a role and we need all departments like social development and so on to step in.
“In Ottery, the CPF has tried to host a meeting and hold an awareness campaign but were rejected by the same group of residents (demanding my resignation).
“Since I have been station commander, we have fired six officers for corruption as I don’t tolerate it.
“I believe that many of the people making these claims are just covering for the gangsters.”
Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson, Melvin Jonkers, has slammed the group: “We wholeheartedly support Colonel Laing and reject the calls for his head.
“This is a man who takes to the streets himself and he even met with the gang leaders and told them he is coming after them if they don’t put an end to this fight.
“This group can call for a cop’s head but can’t go to the homes of gangsters and demand the heads of their leaders.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za