Policeman calls private security after being robbed

Police officers vow to protect the communities they serve from crime, but when one was a victim recently he called a private security company for help.

According to private security company Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the police detective was robbed and attacked by two unidentified suspects in Verulam Central Business District, KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.

Choked and robbed

The detective said he was walking in an arcade in Verulam CBD when the suspects choked him and took his Nokia phone.

The detective chased the two with his firearm, shooting off two warning shots.

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He stopped pursuing them at Gandhi Park, near the Verulam Magistrates Court, because of injuries from the attack.

He then borrowed a passerby’s phone to call for assistance from RUSA.

“Reaction Officers arrived on the scene at approximately 16:36 and conducted an extensive search for both suspects, with negative results,” it said.

The Citizen has reached out to KZN police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Robert Netshiunda for comment. Any update from him will be included, once received.

Violence against law enforcement officers

In a similar incident in September, two unsuspecting police officers from Daveyton in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, were robbed of their cellphones and firearms while sitting in their marked vehicle during their lunch break.

The suspects also damaged the wheels of their vehicle. Luckily, the police officers were otherwise unharmed.

After a rise in attacks on police, Eastern Cape Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Nomthetheleli Lillian Mene said that acts of violence against police officers would not be tolerated.

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“Law enforcement is committed to ensuring public safety and will not tolerate criminality against officers or the community,” said Lt Gen Mene.