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Tight control for CT metro cops
03/04/2008 21:04 - (SA)
Cape Town - The city of Cape Town says it is to strengthen oversight of its metro police, following reports of indiscipline and alleged brutality.
A task team, chaired by city manager Achmat Ebrahim, would be set up to perform this oversight, the city said in a statement on Thursday.
The team would include metro police chief Bongani Jonas, council officials with skills in areas such as industrial relations and law, and politicians.
"This will be the start of an extensive process ... to improve service delivery, discipline and operational effectiveness," the city said.
"This team will deal with matters such as getting the basics right, discipline and speedy disciplinary action where needed (and) improving the image of the service.".
Mayoral committee member for safety and security Dumisani Ximbi, who will sit on the team, said there were many committed officers in the metro police who were doing a tough job well.
"It is unfortunate that the service is tarnished by the wrongdoing of some members.
"Cape Town needs a functional and effective metro police service and this is what the task team will try to achieve."
Ebrahim said there had been a number of incidents over the past few months which necessitated disciplinary action against metro police.
These included the blockade of roads into Cape Town in August last year "and other incidents involving the public where metro police officers have not adhered to the ... manual", he said.
The unit was in the news most recently when a woman claimed she was assaulted by a metro officer after he ordered her to clean up her dog's excrement from a Sea Point pavement.
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