Police strive for effective force
2010-09-04 22:27
Pretoria - The SA Police Force (SAPF) was trying, through recruitment, to build a quality force that could fight crime effectively, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Saturday.
"To give further arsenal to our crime fighting goals, we want to make the point that our emphasis on recruiting new members has been on quality rather than quantity," Mthethwa said in his prepared remarks at a crime conference at Kameeldrif near Pretoria.
"We are at the beginning of a new era where we seek to develop a new police officer who has the necessary qualifications, educational, physical and operational skills which are to be used in the fight against crime."
He said training and literacy programmes would also be used to upgrade the skills of police officials, to enable them to effectively perform their duties.
The minister said government was intensifying its campaigns to reduce crime, "especially the proliferation of illegal firearms and drugs, corruption and fraudulent activities, abuse of women and children, the elderly and family violence".
He appealed to communities to become involved in crime fighting through community policing forums, and to work with the police.
"As communities, we therefore urge you to work with police in the apprehension of criminals and not harbour them.
"If society continues buying stolen goods, such practices will indeed give a commercially flourishing market for these scoundrels."
The conference was held at the Dutch Reformed Church in Kameeldrif and was attended by youth, interfaith and civic organisations.
- SAPA