Bulletproof vests 'not user friendly'
2012-05-08 22:39
Polokwane - The current form of police bulletproofing is unusable and potentially dangerous, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) in Limpopo said on Tuesday.
“The form of training that the police undergo is not amongst the best in the world, members are not equipped with necessary training to deal with violent crimes and bulletproof [vests] are not user friendly,” Popcru provincial chairperson Khehla Masemola said.
He was speaking in Polokwane at a summit on police killings.
Masemola said there was a need to look at the quality and design of police bulletproof vests because officers did not wear them because of their size.
This meant that they were often caught in dangerous situations without protection.
He said Popcru members should not subscribe to suspended police commisioner General Bheki Cele's "shoot to kill" slogan.
University of Limpopo professor Corenelius Reolofse said most Limpopo police were killed during their off-duty time.
- SAPA
