Police should stop befriending criminals

OVER the past years, police have lost dignity and trust from the public and communities they serve.

There are so many reasons for police not to be trusted, and this is skewing the process of fighting crime and corruption in the country.

Police have also become vulnerable to criminals because they have exposed themselves by interacting with criminals. They solicit and accept bribes, which makes them criminals.

I appreciate democracy and the constitutional rights that come with it, but it seems the police force in the apartheid era was well equipped to fight crime. It was an honour to be a policeman.

What hurts most is the number of police officers being killed. Criminals are no longer afraid of the police officers, sometimes because they are “friends ”. It is heartbreaking to hear of officers being killed trying to protect innocent people.

The number of police officers killed thus far this year is 52. I think it ’ s time we have a reactive police force that will do anything to stop criminals in their tracks and help prevent police killings in the country.

Five years ago, the minister of police highlighted the 10-Point Programme of Action which included work that must be done. Among those, police killings were a top priority. But there has been little progress since the programme was introduced.

This programme will not become a reality if police don ’ t stop befriending criminals, taking bribes and sharing crucial information with criminals. It won ’ t become a reality if communities don ’ t report criminal activity and criminals living in their backyards. Police can begin to combat crime by tackling crime and corruption from within.

Tshifhiwa Tshivhase, by e-mail