UMBILO SAPS station commander, Col G Mkhize is investigating allegations of unsatisfactory service delivery against policemen at the station following a complaint by resident Johan Bird.
Bird said he had gone to Umbilo SAPS on two occasions last month and had been shocked by the treatment he had received by police on duty at the time.
In the first incident, Johan and his sister-in-law Louis Trytsman had to the charge office at the police station on Saturday 11 April at about 11.20am to request help.
“I was moving premises and the guy staying there threatened me and blocked the driveway. Johan and I went to the station to ask if an officer could accompany me home to help with the situation, but we were told that this was a civil matter and that they couldn’t help us,” said Louise.
“The gentleman behind the counter then told us, 'there’s the door goodbye', and waved us out. I find to be rude and dismissive,” said Bird, adding that whether it was a civil matter or not, if a woman was threatened by a man it was ridiculous that the police were not prepared to help. “We were told by the station commander, Col Mkhize, that the officer should have helped us,” said Louise.
A week later, on Friday, 17 April at 5.30pm, Bird found himself back at Umbilo SAPS charge office to open a case of assault GBH.
“There was a policewoman sitting on the chair busy on her cellphone. I asked her to open a case for me and was informed that I had to wait for shift change as she was busy. I returned later in the evening at about 7.15pm and was attended to by somebody in civilian clothes. He informed me, after I had told him what had happened, that I had to open the case in the area where it happened. I explained that I was a former police officer and knew the procedure and that he could open the case and later transfer it to where it had to go,” he said.
He said the officer reluctantly took him to an office where it took him more than an hour to open the case.
“He didn’t even issue me with a J88, a form I needed to take to the district surgeon at the hospital, and I did show him where I was injured. It is procedure to issue this form,” he said.
Bird said he had approached Col Mkhize at Umbilo SAPS regarding the treatment he had received, and was told he would look into the matter and get back to him.
“I haven't heard anything from him or the detective service. We find the service at the police station shocking. It is disgusting the way the public is treated,” he said.
“We have got to the point where we would rather take our chances with criminals than deal with the police,” said Louise.
According to Umbilo SAPS communications, Col Mkhize has opened an investigation of unsatifactory service delivery against the police members concerned.
