A Newcastle K9 Unit sergeant is in trouble after he was caught on camera driving recklessly on the N3 highway in Pietermaritzburg.

Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the provincial police commissioner in KZN, lauded a community member who recorded the footage circulating on social media in which a marked police van can be seen driving at high speeds, disregarding traffic laws and colliding with other vehicles.

The 35-year-old sergeant was arrested on January 13 on suspicion of drunken and negligent driving. Internal disciplinary actions have already been taken against him, and the process is still ongoing.

Mkhwanazi strongly condemned the sergeant’s actions at the time, calling them ‘barbaric, unprofessional, and uncalled for’.

He stated that there is no room for police officers who disregard the law.

“Police officers carry the hopes of the nation and we cannot afford to have members within our ranks whose behaviour and actions seek to reverse all the gains that hard-working police officers have attained in restoring people’s trust in the police.

“His actions are completely contrary to what we stand for as police officers in this province, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken against him. His case study will serve as a deterrent to other police officers who may have had delusory thoughts that police internal disciplinary actions have softened.”

Mkhwanazi urged community members to continue exposing and reporting unprofessional behaviour by police officers on the job.

“No police officer must transport his children to and from school using a state vehicle; no police officer is allowed to do shopping with a state vehicle. Such rogue elements must be reported, and those who violate the service’s rules will face appropriate consequences.

“Police officers must maintain professional standards at all times, and state resources, including vehicles and other policing tools, must be used responsibly and managed properly at all times,” added Mkhwanazi.

All unprofessional police behaviour, illegal actions, and community disservice can be reported to the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111. Anonymous tips can also be sent through the MySAPS App.