Families living in an area where a teenager was shot last month have called for CCTV to be installed and for greater police presence on their streets.
More than 80 people gathered in the Fat Percy in Adelaide Street on Wednesday, July 11, to form a plan to reclaim their neighbourhood following problems with drug taking and dealing in the area.
The meeting comes two weeks after a 19-year-old from London was shot in the park between Adelaide Street and West End Street. The teenager was taken the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where he underwent treatment.
During a heated discussion householders told police officers they regularly saw people taking drugs in the park where the shooting took place, often found discarded needles in their gardens and knew about drug deals happening on a daily basis.
In response to calls for a greater police presence in the neighbourhood, officers reassured people they were aware of the problems but said the community also needed to take some responsibilty, reporting suspicious behaviour and crimes when they saw them happening.
Jenny Donelan, 26, from West End Street and who attended the meeting, said: 'I think the meeting went as well as it could have gone, with a room full of opinions a lot of people are angry and they don't know how to direct their anger.'
Following the meeting Liam Calvert, chairman of the Wensum Residents' Association, said he had been impressed by the number of people who attended.
He said: 'There was a really good turnout, I'm really pleased considering the clash with the World Cup, if we'd had more people we would have had to hire a bigger venue. It was wonderful having the police attend, we are always grateful to have them here and it will be wonderful to have further meetings with them.
'We are positive going forward, working to help set up a group to look after the park. Wensum Residents' Association are very happy to help form, set up and run a group.'
Anyone witnessing a crime taking place should dial 999 or to raise concerns about crime in their neighbourhood should contact Norfolk Police on 101.
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