EMOTIONAL PUBLIC MEETING PROTESTS AGAINST LOCAL DRUG DEALERS

There were emotional scenes at a public meeting attended by about 300
people in Marangaroo last night, to protest against the operations of
neighbourhood drug dealers.

Senior police who attended the meeting said they needed hard evidence
to shut down drug dealing at a well-known location in Marangaroo
Avenue, and other alleged locations.

The Federal Member for Cowan, Graham Edwards, who's a former WA Police
Minister, says the people of Marangaroo and Girrawheen have had a
gutful, and they want action.

"There's been, tragically, a couple of deaths of young men, a number
of overdoses, and these things have been occurring at the same time
that people have been passing on information to the police, which
seemingly, just is not acted on," Mr Edwards said.

"But we've received a guarantee that there will be action," he
said.

"People have indicated if we don't get the action, the clean up that
we want, then they'll want a follow-up meeting."