High crime numbers for cops not always what they seem

The SA Police Service (SAPS) are making improvements in its recruitment process and the handling of criminality within the force, despite the National Development Plan (NDP) not being implemented in the running of the police.

“We already have oversight bodies,” SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said.

“We have the secretariat of police, the portfolio committee on police, the standing committee on public accounts, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), as well as the office in the presidency for monitoring and evaluation, so in terms of oversight of the police we are more than adequate.”

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Speaking on the high number of convicted police officers involved in crimes such as negligent driving, he said some of the reasons officers had pending cases and convictions were because of the realities of active duty and dealing with criminals.

“Sometimes police officers can be carrying out arrests and then you find the suspect decided to open a case of assault.”

Another complication was that officers went through two different processes when accused of a crime.

“In some cases members may be found guilty in the court but not guilty in the departmental trial because there may be mitigating circumstances. The two processes could have two separate outcomes.”

But the department does not want criminals in its police force, Naidoo insists. It affected the ethical and moral standards in the force, as well as the credibility of the police.

The department encouraged civilians to report criminal behaviour by police officers, Naidoo said.

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