Musings of a Mad Sub – #CopRage – If our police officers break the law, how on Earth can they expect residents to listen to and respect them?

I have written, rewritten and then written my column again regarding the allegations about the Edenvale SAPS.

I think the hardest thing I had to work out was my own feelings regarding what has come out.

From there, I needed to ‘pick a side’, as there is very little middle-ground to be had on this topic.

So let me state something as clearly as possible.

Officers guilty of misconduct, in any form, must be punished. Not just a ‘slap on the wrist’, but real, lasting punishment that will send a clear message to other police officers breaking the law.

If our police officers break the law, how on Earth can they expect residents to listen to and respect them?

But the problem does not end only there. We all know corrupt SAPS and EMPD officials is a continuous battle in South Africa, one which is frustrating any efforts to qualitatively reduce crime in our country.

I think what is so shocking is that these allegations are here, in our own backyard, so to speak.

That said, I have found some of the comments directed against senior Edenvale SAPS members to be both shocking and uncalled for.

There is no evidence to suggest the involvement of these officers, so I would respectfully ask residents to kindly acknowledge this.

If a wrong has been committed by some individuals within the SAPS, that does not mean each and every single officer within the SAPS is guilty.

I think what disappointed me most is that just a few weeks ago, certain SAPS members were being praised for their continuous efforts to reduce crime in Edenvale. Now, following the allegations against certain individuals, it would seem all this is forgotten and everyone is fair game for childish slander.

Yes, it is a sad reality that the actions of a few can bring the reputation of others into disrepute. But we don’t have to fall into this pit – we can make a conscious decision to remain above the petty name-calling and insults. We can also offer the benefit of the doubt to certain members who have proven, time and again, to have the best interests of the Edenvale community at heart.

Make no mistake ladies and gentlemen, our SAPS is at war. The organisation is fighting a battle on two fronts, one against a criminal insurgency that thinks nothing of targeting officers for their weapons. The second battlefront is against corrupt members within the SAPS and their actions are enforced by civilians who pay for bribes as opposed to reporting the corruption.

Facing this battle on two sides, I fear they are fighting a losing battle. Are the efforts of the good, honest, brave officers enough to stem the tide?

All is not lost, however, if we as a community stand together and support our men in blue. The good ones, the ones who risk life and limb to save us deserve no less from us. And yes, from time to time, we may just have to offer the benefit of the doubt.

Every single time the SAPS stops a vehicle, they face the very real risk of being shot at. And for anyone who has ever been shot at, it is no laughing matter. It sticks with you, forever, each and every time.

The police officers in this country carry R5 rifles in a bid to level the playing field between themselves and criminals, who are armed with AK47 rifles. Forget what you see in the movies or on computer games – you cannot realistically take on a suspect armed with a rifle if you only have a sidearm. For starters, the maximum (effective) range of the sidearm will probably only be about 25 to 30 metres. The AK47 has a range of about 700 metres.

Our police force is at war. We, the residents, are at war.

Take a look around you, read the newspapers and count the number of murders each day. Now have a look at how many times police officers are shot at, or killed.

I say this to remind our readers that while what happens to victims of police brutality is deplorable, let us still remain cognisant of the fact that not everyone at the Edenvale SAPS is guilty.

I will leave you with a final thought:

“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men (like police officers) stand ready to do violence on their behalf” – The origin of this quotation is disputed, but many attribute it to a line from a George Orwell novel.

Without police officers, how much worse would crime be?