EMPD officer was assisting the elderly
In a previous edition the RECORD published a letter from a resident complaining about an Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officer who parked in a parking allocated for disabled people.
ALBERTON – At that stage, EMPD stated that they were investigating the matter and will respond as soon as the officer in question had been interviewed. After investigating the matter, the following comment was received from the EMPD:
The person who was driving the EMPD vehicle on that day is elderly and an officer of longstanding in the EMPD. He is a very helpful and respectful 64-year-old officer who is due for pension in the coming year.
He was driving along Ring Road when an elderly couple beckoned to him stop. As to urgently find out the couple’s plight, he quickly stopped in the disabled parking bay.
The couple were complaining that some motorists were parking in such a fashion that it made life difficult for the elderly to comfortably access the LifeStyle Centre.
The empathetic officer explained to the elderly couple that although there are officers from the Alberton Precinct who regularly patrol the area, he would report the complaint. The whole conversation lasted under five minutes. Soon thereafter, the officer left and he never even went into the centre.
He did witness the two young lads who were busy taking photos of his vehicle while he was talking to the elderly couple, but never confronted them as he knew he was only doing what is expected of him – being helpful to people.
The EMPD wishes to apologise that the officer, in his endeavour to urgently assist the elderly couple, could only do so immediately by momentarily utilising the disabled parking bay.
Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago, EMPD Spokesperson
