MORE than a third of the police force at Norkem Park SAPS are not adequately trained to carry firearms.
Mike Waters, MP, DA Constituency Head, Lethabong said: “In response to a Parliamentary question I asked, the Minister of Police revealed that 37 per cent of police officers at Norkem Park Police Station collectively are not competent to carry firearms.
“So, out of the 113 police officers stationed at the station, 42 are not competent in carrying firearms,” Waters said in a statement.
“I had asked the Minister about the number of police officers at the police station, the number of officers competent to carry firearms, including those who had failed their retraining tests.”
None of the officers failed retraining tests.
Waters said the Norkem police precinct had seen a 20 per cent increase in robbery with aggravating circumstances. “It is incomprehensible that in such an environment, police officers are unable to use firearms in defence of innocent civilians because of a failure of the police training system.
“Most police officers are deskbound and are of no use on the streets, where they are needed most. This explains why the crime rate for contact crimes has continued to increase,” Waters added.
“Now, more than ever, the police need to prioritise the continuous training of police officers in firearm handling. It should not be an optional skill but mandatory for all police recruits.”
The DA called on the Minister, the MEC for Safety and Security in Gauteng and the provincial commissioner to respond urgently to the operational deficiency at the Norkem Park precinct so as to guarantee the safety of residents.
