Unacceptable for police to guard: FF Plus

2012-04-02 19:37

Johannesburg - It was unacceptable that senior police officers who had been trained to do specialised jobs should be employed as security guards, the Freedom Front Plus said on Monday.

"It cost taxpayers thousands of rand to have them trained to combat crime. It is a mistake to summarily make all personnel who are not allowed to carry handguns, security guards," said spokesperson Pieter Groenewald in a statement.

Groenewald was reacting to an article in the Beeld newspaper on Monday which reported that colonels and detectives were among 325 "unsuitable" North West police officials who would be redeployed to guard police station gates in April.

The order, which takes effect on Wednesday, was announced in a letter from the provincial police head office dated last Monday.

The North West police department hoped the measure would save it R700 000 a month.

The police officials concerned were those who could not carry firearms and had been found guilty of domestic violence, attempted murder or who had attempted to commit suicide.

Groenewald said if the officers were not desirable they should rather receive counselling or lose their jobs and not simply be re-deployed.

"If proper discipline is exercised and the necessary psychological counselling takes place, the public will get more value for their money.

"It is clear that senior managers do not have the capabilities to deal with this issue properly," said Groenewald.

- SAPA