Police corruption rife in Western Cape
February 9 2015 at 10:15am
By Carlo Petersen
By Carlo Petersen
Cape Town - Provincial police have reported 17 cases of corruption in
their ranks in the last three months.
This has prompted provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer to warn
that lawlessness within the police service will not be tolerated.
Lamoer told the Cape Times on Sunday that the Western Cape
Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit (WCACIU) had increased its efforts to stamp
out police corruption.
“Any police officer working outside of the law will be dealt with
harshly.
“We have established an anti-corruption unit within the province that is
working hard to stop these crimes,” said Lamoer. “I am also warning police
officers who are busy with corrupt practices that we will come after them and,
once they are arrested, the law will take its course.
“Thirdly, I would like to urge the community to come forward if they
have any information that could lead to the arrest of corrupt officers.
“Our aim is to make sure police officers abide by the law. There is no
place for corruption within the police force.”
The first case three months ago involved 10 Parow police station
officers, who were arrested and charged with corruption on November 7.
On November 10, two Laaiplek police station detectives appeared in court
after being charged with defeating the ends of justice.
Another Parow police station constable was charged with defeating the
course of justice, and fraud, on November 21.
A Claremont police detective was arrested and charged with defeating the
ends of justice and corruption on November 26.
On the same day, a Bredasdorp police station constable was arrested for
theft.
A 31-year-old constable stationed at an Atlantis visible policing
station was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit an offence and arson on
January 15. In the last case reported, a 40-year-old warrant officer from
Steenberg police station was arrested on February 3 and charged with
corruption.
The SA Institute of Race Relations recently released a national research
paper highlighting police officers’ involvement in crime over the last three
years.
The findings for their 2015 report indicated 36 cases related to
murders, 21 related to armed robberies, 27 related to rape and 16 to other
crimes ranging from torture to theft and burglaries.
National police spokesman Solomon Makgale said criminality within the
police was being reduced and that 777 police officers had been dismissed since
October 2014.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesman Moses
Dlamini said more people were coming forward because they were being made aware
of units like Ipid and the WCACIU.
carlo.petersen@inl.co.za
Cape Times
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/police-corruption-rife-in-western-cape-1.1815049
