People living in Riverside say they want police to clamp down on drug use and dealing in the area with some saying they don’t feel safe walking around the neighbourhood.
Labour Councillor for Riverside, Iona Gordon, says “there are increasing concerns about the visibility of drug use, whether it’s dealers or people gathering on street corners and being noisy. People have been seen going into phone boxes to inject drugs.”
A phone booth in Riverside
Plaid Cymru Candidate for Riverside, Xose Alvarez says his neighbours have complained about drug dealing around Tudor Street and Plantagenet Street. Mr. Alvarez says “many locals have reported it repeatedly to the police but they don’t feel like there’s been any progress.”
People living in the Edinburgh Court council estate say they regularly see young people taking drugs in the stairwells.
The council estate Edinburgh Court on Wyndham Place
Georgina Sammut, 70, lives in Edinburgh Court. She says South Wales Police have tried to tackle the problem by installing a camera in one of the stairwells of Edinburgh Court. She says “the police are doing their best to improve the situation.”
Georgina Sammut says she regularly sees drug use
In a statement, South Wales Police said “drug dealing has a devastating impact upon communities and it won’t be tolerated. Wherever possible we will use the information that we get from the public and take action with the aim of putting drug dealers out of business and before the courts.”
