Drive for food not a waste – SAPS

Mr Mike Spadino, chairperson of the Malvern United Community Forum (MUCF), said he was shocked when he recently found out that officers from the Cleveland SAPS were picking up food from Norwood SAPS.

“I was close to the Norwood SAPS recently and saw a Cleveland SAPS vehicle and officers. I asked the officers what they were doing there and they said they were picking up food for prisoners. I was told the kitchen at the Cleveland SAPS is not in operation. I consider this a complete waste of state resources,” said Mr Spadino.

He said the officers should be patrolling the precinct and addressing crime, instead of driving out of the area.

“The kitchen should be used to prevent officers from going all the way to another police station. The manpower and vehicles are needed in the precinct,” he said.

Constable Mpho Mashakane, the Cleveland SAPS communications officer, said the Cleveland SAPS is a small station and the food budget is shared with the bigger station.

“The kitchen is working but there are either a few people or no one in the cells,” she said.

Police officers have been going to the Norwood SAPS to pick up food for the past two years.

Const Mashakane said the officers pick up food three times a day and prisoners are fed immediately when they get back.

“It is not a waste of resources. When the officers go out of the area to fetch food there is a replacement in that sector. Police officers are doing their duties. Fetching food for prisoners is part of their job,” she said.