‘Integrity essential in law enforcemement’
Police misconduct undermines the legitimacy of law enforcement and even that of the state.
The Victims of Crime Survey for 2015-2016, released by Statistics South Africa, shows that South Africans are generally reluctant to report crime, and largely believe the police cannot solve matters, all of this is due to the corruption in the system.
The MEC of Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane who has visited our community at least four or more times over the past two months has released her opinion piece on police integrity and building confidence in the law enforcement agencies.
She stated in her report that; “Integrity has become such a scarce quality in the society we live in today. It is certainly not a quality we would want to take for granted. Law enforcement officers are required to uphold a morally sound judgement at all times. Instead, our men and women in blue and brown uniforms have let corruption and poor service to be embedded in the system to unacceptable levels.”
“Corruption in our law enforcement agencies takes various forms. Very often police solicit bribes from ordinary civilians. Senior managers and commissioners solicit serious bribes involving huge amounts of money from crime syndicates and rich people who are found on the wrong side of the law. Police corruption remains a thorny issue for members of the public and the leadership of police agencies alike.”
“It is common knowledge that traffic officers do that to motorists. This practice is particularly prevalent in the issuing of driver’s licenses and vehicle roadworthy testing at Vehicle Testing Stations (VTSs) and Driver Learner Testing Centres (DLTCs). For example, unroadworthy vehicles are issued with certificates by traffic officials who take bribes.”
“What have we come to as a country when Police are often found to be in cahoots with criminals? How do we deal with situations where guns which disappear from police stations and are believed to be stolen by members of the South African Police Service are sold to criminals? Have we become so greedy and corrupt that the people who are supposed to protect the citizens of this country have put their interest in the forefront rather than those of our people?”
“Some officers behave in the most unlawful manner which results in millions of rands being paid out in civil claims due to the illegal behaviour by some of our cops. According to Deputy Minister of Police, Bongani Mkongi an amount of R291 million was paid in a civil claim during the 2016/17 financial year.”
“This was a 175% increase in civil claims against the police in the previous five years (Corruption Watch, 2017). Statistics South Africa (2012) and Corruption Watch (2013) surveys revealed critical findings that label Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) as prone to corruption and well known to be the most corrupt public servants.”
“Some of the police have been corrupted by citizens who wanted to avoid legal prosecution. Corruption amongst police officers has, understandably so, affected public trust and confidence in law enforcement, thus increasing the distance between the police and the public. Police misconduct undermines the legitimacy of law enforcement and even that of the state. This uncalled-for behaviour by some of our police officers is motivated by greed and lack of patriotism.”
“Mismanagement is also proving to be a major threat in police living up to their mandate. Some police officials raised the fact that some of the seniors turn a blind eye to issues relating to corruption. This is an indication that the officials who hold high offices are undermining all initiatives and measures put in place and indirectly promoting unethical behaviour amongst the policing fraternity.
“Law enforcement is a crucial aspect of the criminal justice system. Therefore, the integrity of those who work within the criminal justice system, especially law enforcement agencies (LEAs) is essential. It is therefore crucial that police officers adhere to their professional ethics as well as within the confines and rule of law.”
“It has also become a norm for citizens to know that during roadblocks they must have money to bribe a cop to get away with non-compliance of road rules. This is unacceptable. This, however, is a demonstration that some citizens are the willing accomplices to petty crime which makes it harder to rightfully execute the anti-corruption mandate and prosecute the “bad apples” in the police system.”
“All these bad practices have caused the public not to trust the police and turning our country to adopt the habit of lawlessness. It has badly damaged the image and reputation of the law enforcement fraternity.”
“Police corruption cannot continue unabated. There is a need for sound leadership within the ranks of police to deal with this unethical behaviour. No law enforcement agencies or leadership should knowingly condone conduct that contradicts either policy of the police agency or constitutional imperatives. There must be accountability for acts of corruption and other forms of wrongdoing.”
“Ethical behaviour and professionalism are critical principles in the public service especially within the ranks of law enforcement. On the other hand, corruption erodes the moral fibre and respect for the law and act as a hindrance to those who aspire to join law enforcement agencies.”
“It is our belief as the department that there is a need to consider incorporating issues of integrity and ethics law enforcement agencies’ in curricula at academies (training colleges). New policies and procedures must be put in place regarding the code of conduct and related rules and regulations.”
“Furthermore, regular checks for police to disclose their financial interest and asserts should be extended to the all police officers irrespective of the rank. Parallel to that, as the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, our focus to intensify programmes aimed at educating the public about the negative consequences of corruption remains on course.
“To deal with the issue of the strong code of silence, all the law enforcement agencies in the province might need to consider the use of technologies such as body cameras and in-car cameras for monitoring the conduct of law enforcement officers while on duty.”
The MEC urges all Gauteng citizens to take a stand and not fall into the trap of engaging in any form of corruption with our police officers and call on police management to work with us in curbing corruption to ensure reputable law enforcement agencies.
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