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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

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warda.salvester@inl.co.za

The Daily Voice took to the streets of Cape Town and asked people, do you trust your police officers?

SCANDAL: Top cop Esmerald Bailey and lawyer during her corruption trial

CASSIEM LINDOOR,41, STELLENBOSCH I DONT trust police always because sometimes they do their jobs and sometimes they dont. I think they should give courses to the police, especially anger management courses.

ZULAIKHA WAGGIE, 19, MITCHELLS PLAIN NO, I DONT trust them because when I call them they take their own time. I think they should put a police car or van in every road so that they can respond quickly. LAWRENCE KETYE, 47, BELLVILLE I DONT trust police because they dont really respond when I need them. I think they should patrol more because everywhere police are needed.

NOSETHU TASE, 26, PHILIPPI YES, I trust police because whenever I call they respond to my calls. I dont know what they can do to improve their services but if we try and work together and meet police halfway, a lot more can be done. ALGERNON WYNAND, 20, EERSTE RIVER YES, I trust police because I feel safe around them. However, they can get more policemen that are experienced. JEREMY BRISTOW, 39 , KOMMETJIE I DO TRUST police because they do deliver but [government] can improve their services by giving more training and more resources to the police.

CORRUPTION IS A CHOICE YOU MAKE

ONE OF the most common reasons people give for police corruption is their small salaries. But criminologist Dr Elizabeth Grobler says this is just an excuse used to justify criminal behaviour by the men and women in blue. Ive spoken to numerous people on this issue and their response ranges from, yes, their salaries are poor to somebody saying police are overpaid for their output and they must live within their means, she says. So at the end of the day, mostly, it is a choice to become corrupt. Many new officers are drawn into corruption without even realising it. A constable in his first year at the force would receive free gifts, a packet of cigarettes at a shop, a bottle of brandy there and take it. By the end of his first year, he says, geez there are a lot of things I dont have to pay for. But everybody else knows he is for sale, Dr Grobler adds. She says in order to root out corruption, a review of the force is needed. We need a holistic approach and look at policies, procedures, corruption, brutality, everything, she says. Things like lifestyle surveillance. Youll see in many stations on the Cape Flats, junior cops have much more expensive cars than the commander. But nobody questions that. How many commanders go and see how their members live, how they dress?

COPS MUST BE POLICED

A SHOCK report about the large number of top cops with criminal records have put the spotlight back on lawlessness within the police force.
MPs were dismayed to hear that criminal elements in SAPS include a major general and at least 10 brigadiers, 21 colonels and 706 warrant officers.
Among the serious offences they have committed are murder, attempted murder, rape and attempted rape. This was revealed by SAPS human resources officials last week, who briefed Parliaments police oversight committee on the outcome of their audit of members who had court convictions. Police Minister Nathi Rek jou bek Mthethwa said last month SMS 32832 the audit had established that 1 448 members had employ of the SAPS, says criminal convictions. Nkayishane Mazibuko, Violence the polices head of personnel management. The crimes include murAll the offenders are yet der to rape, assault, aiding to be fired. an escaper, theft, houseOne expert who is not breaking, drug trafficking, shocked at these numbers kidnapping, robbery, mali- is criminologist Dr Elizacious damage to property beth Grobler. and domestic violence. Grobler is the author of Only 306 of these police Crossing the line: When cops officers were convicted become criminals , which before they joined SAPS. focuses on cases in the The rest had been Western Cape. The book is convicted while in the based on interviews with

HELPLINES
IF YOU have been a victim of police abuse, crime or corruption, or if you want to report a police officer for misconduct, do the following: Contact the station commissioner and the areas Community Policing Forum (CPF), or open a docket at a neighbouring station. Also contact the SAPS Community Service Call Centre on 0860 130 860. This is an under-utilised structure within the SAPS which can be called upon with corruption and service delivery complaints. As a victim of police corruption, you can also contact the Public Service Commissions tollfree hotline at 0800 701 701 or visit the website at www.psc.gov.za For more serious complaints against cops, contact IPID via email at complaints@ipid.gov.za or call 021 941 4800. If you feel you have been a victim of a major human rights violation at the hands of the police contact the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) at www.sahrc.org.za or call 011 484 8300. If you are not assisted by any of the above, get in touch with the provincial government structure such as the Department of Community Safety on 021 483 6949.
DISMISSED: Bheki Cele was sacked for corruption

MURDER CHARGE: Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli

Audit of SAPS shows shocking number of dirty officers in SA

common form of collusion. They would also shake down rival dealers and then sell the drugs back to their connections.

RAPE CHARGE: Cop Gouws

through violence, says Grobler. Because they are authority figures, corrupt cops demand respect and when they dont get it, they will do it through violence, and raping prostitutes is one manifestation of that. Dr Grobler lays the blame for dishonest cops on SAPS management. She adds: Many of these corrupt cops have been doing their thing for years, yet nothing happens to them. Why? We have untrained and unskilled managers and they just turn a blind eye.

RESEARCH: Dr Elizabeth Grobler

serving officers, cops that were convicted while in service, as well as highranking gang members. Corruption is most rife in high crime, high gang activity areas, which is basically the Cape Flats, Dr Grobler says. There is not a crime corrupt cops are not involved in.These include bribery, colluding with gangs, vehicle theft and, of course, drugs. Whatever a particular gang needs them for, if they can pay, they will get their services. Tipping off gangs about drug raids is the most

Illegal
They transport illegal abalone either in police vehicles or cars hired by gangsters. And its extremely lucrative. One guy said his squad could earn R100 000 per ton, transporting from places like Hawston to Cape Town. If they fear they are going to be caught, they would radio in some emer-

gency to the nearest police station and that would divert the police away from them, and they know they can get through. And it appears these cops are acting with impunity, with neither shame nor fear of being caught out. One convicted officer told me he was very proud of his squad, she adds. He said they had several squads at his station, but the criminals preferred them because they were more efficient. One gangster, whose turf was in Mitchells Plain, said he worked

with eight corrupt cops. It was costing him R12 000 a year to keep them on his side. So its expensive and its not everyone who can afford it. And the gangs dont necessarily deal with these rank and file cops. Senior gangsters deal with senior cops. Dr Grobler says there are many reason why cops become corrupt. Its either greed, because its so easy to make money and the opportunity is there, but very often its fear. This I got from a gang leader in prison as

well as cop offenders. They grow up with these guys, some of them are friends, and then the gangsters expect favours from their police friends.

Threatened
If they are not drawn into the corruption willingly, they and their families get threatened. If that fails, the corrupt cops arrange for the officer to move to another station. Abuse of power is also a huge contributor. Rape, assault and brutality by cops ties in with our society commanding respect

SHOCKING STATS: Police minister Nathi Mthethwa