The FF Plus welcomes the crime prevention plan announced earlier today by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, and the National Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, seeing as the plan clearly addresses the serious problems in the police service.
The admission that crime intelligence has been dysfunctional for nearly six years is a serious accusation against the former commissioners and ministers of police.
It took a serious wave of cash-in-transit heists for the police to come to the realisation that organised crime can only be affectively combated with better crime intelligence obtained by infiltrating criminal groups.
The admission that there is corruption in the police service must be followed with decisive action, otherwise the crime prevention plan is doomed to fail.
The FF Plus is particularly pleased with the decision to increase police visibility. With the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa, proper and visible policing resulted in a significant decrease in criminal activity.
In truth, the decision to better train officers is a blemish on the name of the police as it is in effect an admission that they were not properly trained to do their jobs in the past.
Effectively utilising the police’s tactical division and ensuring that all members receive adequate weapons training will surely make a positive contribution to combating crime.
The special focus on hijackings, robberies, and robberies at residential premises in particular, is long overdue seeing as it forms part of the trio crimes. Robberies at residential premises are what the public fears the most. (The third leg of the trio crimes is robberies at non-residential premises).
It is lamentable that farm murders are not included, but the leader of the FF Plus, Dr Pieter Groenewald, will personally take up the matter with the Minister.
It was interesting to note that General Sithole was wearing a camouflage uniform during the media conference. It may create the impression that the police service is becoming more militarised and that is not good for the police’s image.
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