Wednesday, 7 February 2001

Media Release

COMMUNITY LEADER PLEADS FOR CALM IN CABRAMATTA

 A community leader has pleaded to the local Cabramatta community for calm in the wake of yesterday’s demand by business and residents for private security and the formation of vigilante groups because they feel the local police have been ineffective in the fight against the area’s drug trade.

The revelations were made by Vietnamese business and community groups at yesterday’s hearing of a Parliamentary Inquiry into Police resources in Cabramatta.

"I am pleading with the community to be more patient and give local police another chance," said Fairfield’s only Vietnamese speaking councillor, Thang Ngo.

"I fully appreciate the community’s dissatisfaction at the stubborn drug problem of Cabramatta and especially the blatant drug deals.

"However, this siege mentality tactic will degenerate the level of lawlessness in our community and could lead to innocent residents getting hurt.

"We should give police another chance, we have two ‘drug experts’ in Clive Small, our regional commander and Frank Hanson Cabramatta Police local area commander who have just started this year, let’s give them a chance to make an impact,"

"The community should also wait for the outcome of the current Parliamentary Inquiry into Cabramatta police resources – it may give us some much needed solutions" he concluded.