Corruption & abuse of powers a ‘hobby’ in
metro police
By "@"Graeme Hosken
Pretoria
News
By "@"Graeme Hosken and "@"Patrick Hlahla
Corruption has become a “hobby” within the Metro Police Department).
This was revealed in a report by the Institute of Security Studies three years
ago.
The report, “City Blues: Corruption and Corruption Management in South
Africa’s Metropolitan Police Departments”, dates back to 2007, but nothing,
sources in the department said, has changed in the past three years. Corruption
remains a problem within the organisation, they said.
The Eyewitness News in an investigation into alleged corruption within
the city council revealed that more than 25 percent of metro police officials –
including office-bound staff and those out on operations – were under
investigation.
A total of 350 dockets have been opened by the Internal Investigations
Unit against the department’s over 1 200 police members.
The report says the department is South Africa’s second largest metro
police department with 1 914 employees, 1 220 of whom are police members.
The revelations come as the Independent Complaints Directorate is
investigating the operations of an alleged organised crime syndicate within the
department’s ranks.
The apparent criminal network, which uses State resources, sees members
from the department’s Region 6 using strong arm tactics such as assaults,
kidnappings and torture, to extort money from victims who include motorists,
those using the services of prostitutes, and hawkers.
Region 6, which apparently accounts for more than 40 percent of investigations
into metro police members, is the department’s city centre area of operation.
It includes Sunnyside, Hatfield, Marabastad and surrounding areas.
Besides criminal investigations, members are also facing misconduct
charges which range from the illegal pointing of firearms, disobeying orders,
dereliction of duty and insubordination.
Some of those being investigated are facing multiple investigations
while some dockets are for more than one suspect.
The report states that the department’s civilian oversight committee and
inspections unit does not believe corruption to be a major problem in the
department, but senior managers view it is as a serious problem, particularly
at traffic rule enforcement level.
“The Conduct Investigations Unit sees it as a ‘very big’ problem, and
states that ‘corruption has become a hobby’.
“According to the investigate unit’s head, traffic-related bribery
complaints are received daily, nepotistic bias is prevalent throughout the
department and corruption in the licensing department is rife.
“Some control dispatchers allegedly earn R30 000 a week tipping off
towing companies about accidents before reporting these over police radios,
while some operational officers allegedly earn R6 000 a night extorting money
from drunk drivers.”
The report revealed that by the end of 2008 “The Code of Ethics” was
meant to be in place, but setting up a complaints desk, hotline and vetting
system had been delayed due to a lack of funds.
The lack of funds, a traffic source said, has also led to vitally needed
equipment such as specialised cameras for entrapment operations remaining
unavailable, despite repeated promises from the department’s top management
that such equipment was a priority.
The report says the unithas been unable to realise its goal of sending a
strong message to the bribing public and corruptible policeman.
The report’s author, Andrew Faull, said victim surveys showed the sphere
of government officials most receptive to receiving money, favours or gifts in
return of service were traffic related members.
“This points a big finger at metro police departments that are
responsible for traffic enforcement.
Faull said there appeared to be a pattern with the Gauteng metro policing
areas of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Joburg as having the worst reputation when it
came to petty roadside corruption. He said recommendations from his paper,
calling for various changes to stop corruption, had not been implemented.
“A workshop by the Independent Complaints Directorate and the Institute
of Security Studies attended by Tshwane and Ekurhuleni metro chiefs and senior
staff discussions showed that metros are facing the same problems as three
years ago. Discipline within metro police departments is often handled by the
metro councils and those who are disciplined are held accountable to codes of
conduct and rules.
“A police chief, who has all the best intentions of stamping out
corruption, has his hands tied if disciplinary processes involving council are
beyond his control and not conducted timelessly and effectively.”
DA community safety spokeswoman in the Tshwane Metro Council
"@"Karen Meyer said the DA submitted an urgent motion to the council
in May, based on information the party had received, “in which it appeared that
at least 22 percent of the total number of Tshwane metro police officials had
either already been convicted, were awaiting trial or disciplinary hearings.
“It is clear proof of the total collapse of our city’s law enforcement.
The standard procedures used in the appointment of metro police officials,
leaves a lot to be desired.”
Meyer said residents cannot be “saddled with metro police officers” they
cannot trust. “The council is not doing anyone a favour by not viewing this
growing situation in a serious light, or simply launching an internal
investigation. By not addressing the problem correctly it will mean shutting
down the whole department at the end of the day.”
Policeman think he is above the law while talking in his cellphone while driving, he should be giving a good example to the public, no the exception of the rule.
PIC
This ticket give to me for not stopping at a stop street next to the impound where my bike was taken the next day when I went to fetch it , the good thing is that his female SAPS officer was there around the police van when the friend of the EMPD Officer Mr J M Van Heerden dress in civilian clothing open the police van & brutally assault me, she can be easily sappena to testify for what happen that day.
PIC
This certificate show very clear that is the EMPD Officer Mr J M Van
Heerden that took me to Jail in Kempton Park after that he and his partner try
to charge me with attempted murder, making my wife cry (that I will never
forgive them) , saying I run over the partner of the EMPD Officer Mr J M Van
Heerden when they try to stop me the first time at the robot, forgetting I was
wearing a helmet cam that shows very well, I did not run over anyone not even a
dog, as the footage from the helmet cam that now is in U-Tube shows they lie
and I'm not surprise that is not the first time they lie together.
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+++
PIC
As I say
before if something happen to me you know who was involve and have more than
enough motives to do it with his cops friends.
