Call to fix police problems

Cape Town - Inefficiencies in the police in the Western Cape undermine the criminal justice system and hamper successful conviction rates, says Community Safety MEC Dan Plato.

He has also called on acting provincial police commissioner Major-General Thembisile Patekile to “urgently” address the problems which have been identified by his department’s “watching briefs” unit.

“(He) will need to implement strong preventative measures in order to prevent a reoccurrence of these systemic failures,” said Plato.

The matter has also been referred to the national minister of police through the Minmec (ministers and members of executive councils’ meeting) report.

The Cape Argus reported this week on the “shocking” findings of a pilot study by the unit, conducted last year at five courts, which revealed that a significant percentage of cases were struck off the court roll because of poor police performance.

Plato said the study identified 144 cases where “serious inefficiencies or failures” by the police resulted in these initially being struck off the roll.

However, through the intervention of the watching brief unit, these shortcomings were reported to police management who took decisive action. Many of these cases were then reinstated on the court roll, said Plato. “The trials will hopefully be finalised soon resulting in justice to be served and the criminals being prosecuted.”

Plato said the unit had identified several problems.

In 74 cases – more than half of the cases – the investigating officer was unable to finalise the investigation within a reasonable time. Most of these cases were for the illegal possession of firearms, robbery and murder. Four were rape cases.

Plato said the police docket was not available at court in 54 of the cases that were monitored. Ten of these related to robbery cases.

There were also 15 cases where the investigating officer failed to subpoena witnesses to court.

In his presentation to the City of Cape Town’s safety and security portfolio committee meeting last week, Advocate JC Gerber, of the provincial Department of Community Safety, said that police officers involved in 28 of the cases were disciplined.

“I welcome the strong action by the SAPS management who took disciplinary steps against the guilty officers, as this demonstrates that there is no room in the police service for sloppy or uncaring policing.”

Plato said the watching brief would be extended to at least 25 courts in the province, with a “particular focus on gang-related cases and those involving serious and violent crimes”.

Plato added that victims and their families had the right to have perpetrators face their day in court and account for their behaviour.

Provincial police spokesman Colonel Tembinkosi Kinana said Patekile’s office would respond to the issues raised, directly to Plato’s office, at an “appropriate time”.

He added that Patekile had not yet been informed of the issues referred to in Plato’s letter, and that it would be premature for the police to comment.

anel.lewis@inl.co.za

Cape Argus