The ongoing gang warfare between Victoria Street and Kelly Street is believed to have already resulted in fatal injury to one minor and a critical injury to another - and that happened in just six days!
And so, police are mainlining a strong presence in the area - but when we passed by Victoria Street today, we found residents complained that rather than peace-keeping they say the police are war-mongering.
Mark Gentle told us police left him black and blue and bruised all over:..
Mark Gentle
"Sgt. Lemott chance me, he did this to me. I just want him to leave me alone."
Jules Vasquez
"When did this happen?"
Mark Gentle
"Tuesday afternoon."
Jules Vasquez
"Were you doing something illegal at the time?"
Mark Gentle
"No, they meet me at the shop and they took me to the police station to beat me for something that happens around here that I don't know anything about."
Jules Vasquez
"Did they charge you?"
Mark Gentle
"No."
Jules Vasquez
"Specify what you mean by "beat you up?"
Mark Gentle
"They beat me up, punch me, and kick me up."
Jules Vasquez
"At the police station?"
Mark Gentle
"Yes."
Jules Vasquez
"Which one? Queen Street?"
Mark Gentle
"Yes."
Jules Vasquez
"How many officers?"
Mark Gentle
"He alone did this to me and then two other took me to the back and hit me with a bat and then they start to pull on my hair."
Jules Vasquez
"Specify what you mean by pulling your hair?"
Mark Gentle
"They pull it like they want to take it out."
Jules Vasquez
"After how long were you release?"
Mark Gentle
"I just got release last night. they still didn't want to let me go but then one of the higher officers came and say that they chance me and that is how they let me go. I just want them to leave me alone and stop chancing me."
Jules Vasquez
"They may say that they will not leave you alone because you know about something or you are in some kind of criminal conspiracy."
Mark Gentle
"I am not in anything. I am always out here by myself. I don't hang with any of those young boys that are out here."
Eric Martinez
"I got scars to show what the policemen are doing to me; I am fed up of the policemen."
Jules Vasquez
"They are claiming....nobody stones an empty mango tree."
Eric Martinez
"No, they are telling us that it is us who are keeping up this rival that is going on right now. They are claiming that I am the leader because the guys who shoot me setup their girlfriend to make a simple statement against me. That is how I ended up in jail in 2010. Now that I am out, things got hectic, every minute they want to kill me. I am the main target, I am Eric Martinez. As they heard my name they want to beat me bad and they say that I am a gunman and the police want to search me for gun."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you presently concealing a firearm?"
Eric Martinez
"I don't have that. I can take them to my house right now to search and they will not find anything because I don't have anything."
Jules Vasquez
"Maybe you have a "stash spot."
Eric Martinez
"I don't have a "stash spot" I am not into guns. I just came out of jail not even two months good yet. I am trying to take care of my child. Those are the officers who chance me, I am tired of them. Do they want us to retaliate? You see how they are watching? When you guys go from here you know the turmoil I will be under right now. You see them laughing there; they will take us and beat us again. I want to know what is the best solution for this."
Police maintain that - despite their protestations - the area remains part of an intensive investigation for weapons and other criminal conspiracies.
