Many articles appearing on News24 indicate a growing trend
within the SAPF of negligence and apathy with regards to the simple task of
taking statements from complainants, witnesses and victims affected by a serious
and violent crime.
Just quickly to set the record straight for my News24 fellow
commenters, the SAPS became the SAPF on the 1st of April 2010. Many
people do not know this and apparently neither does the SAPF if you take a look
at their website. Where in the world does a country’s law enforcement name
change so often? Clearly it has changed so often that even the Plods have no
idea what to call themselves anymore.
Several news stories on this site have highlighted a
disturbing and growing virus within the SAPF, which is the failure of law enforcement
officers to return (or even arrive) at the crime scene to take statements!!! In
almost every country on this planet the very necessary task of obtaining a
statement after a crime has taken place is a requirement and indeed most
certainly a compulsory step in the investigation process. Some police forces I
would think take this so seriously that I am confident there would be internal
disciplinary action taken if this duty were to be overlooked for whatever
reason. It’s logical.
Here in South Africa it happens daily. The sad irrefutable
fact is that the ordinary citizens of this country have accepted SAPF
ineptitude as part and parcel of how things are and always will be. On one hand
we see some tremendous work being done by our port authorities and The Hawks,
in breaking the backs of the various syndicates. Goods worth millions of rands
are seized and individuals arrested. In fact the SAPF and their law enforcement
partners arrest many people and do it often. Crime is a burgeoning and growing
business in South Africa and it keeps the long arm of the law very busy.
The problem actually lies with your average Mr Plod in the
many police stations across our land. These law enforcement officers are in my
opinion, the backbone of the SAPF. They are the last line of defence in our
neighbourhoods. No, Not Rambo van Vuuren of Bliksem Security that responds to
your house alarm at 2 in the morning and almost shoots you in the process. No,
I’m talking about the real ‘Men in Blue,’ the glory boys of the SAPF. Oh man if
only it were like the old days when cop vehicles were seen in their hundreds
and the only movement outside your yard at night was a Dog Unit patrol slowly
purring past to keep their engine noise to a bare minimum. I envied their life
of fast cars and deadly chases with the ultimate prize of a bust and a photo in
the local newspaper. It was a good healthy envy, because in all honesty I
admired them. They made me feel safe.
Something has happened to our ‘Boys in Blue’. On the one
hand there are cops out there doing brilliant work under unbelievable pressure
and a salary that does them an injustice for their many hours of sacrifice and
risk to life and limb. On the other hand there are the cops that turn up for
work just because it was all they could find as a career. These are the
individuals you and I come face to face with in our local community police
stations.
In Hillcrest, KZN you will find the most unsavoury of characters
in one melting pot of indifference, impetuousness and ineptitude. That is just
one station of many where the script could have been copied and pasted for
other police stations across the country experiencing the same symptoms. The constable
told me to F*****f! They refused to take the arrest warrant from me to serve on
my stalker even though it was stamped and signed by the Magistrates Court!! The
sergeant refused to take our accident report. He said he was finished with us
and began attending to the people next to us!! The policemen were talking to
one another and ignored us even though we stood right in front of them!! The
list goes on.
I had a particularly nasty experience at a police station in
late 2010. I had all the necessary
documentation and all I needed to do was get a policeman to take my statement
and the investigator would take over from there. Nope. As with all things
relating to the SAPF there had to be an issue. There were ‘um’s and ‘errs’ and I
was sent from one office to another. One female Captain got shirty with me over
the contents of my documents even though they were signed and stamped by the Magistrates
Court. To cut a long story short these policemen simply refused take my
statement and open up a case. I was gobsmacked and speechless!!
Ha, you think I’d leave it there like many of my fellow
South Africans under similar circumstances. No way. I went home and got on the
internet and went straight to the SAPS stroke SAPF website and began looking
for contact information for the SAPF head office in Pretoria. I found a female Colonel’s
mobile number and called her right away. It was around 9 in the evening. It was
all a risk but I was desperate and angry. Well what a luck. She was friendly
and accommodating and listened patiently while I explained my story. The Colonel
put me at ease and promised to get to the bottom of my complaint. My case reached
regional level and finally a detective from another police station was
dispatched to my home to take the necessary statements. In days an Arrest
Warrant was issued for the arrest of the offender in my case and it all ended
well. Through all of this the police officers where my case was originally
refused were never disciplined, even though I registered a complaint at
national level about my treatment there. Oh well, it’s South Africa and we expect
nothing less.
My advice to all of you dear News24 commenters is to never
give up. If you are not receiving assistance at your local police station, get
on the net and go to this link:
http://www.saps.gov.za/_dynamicModules/internetSite/KeyConDir.asp
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