Demotivated SAPS members, community concerns about police service discussed at ECPF
"The police officers read the newspaper and show me. They tell me this is the community - they don't want us to do our jobs and stop [and search] them."
Despite the Edenvale Community Police Forum’s (ECPF) meeting being cut short, concerns of poor police service and demotivated police officers were raised.
The concerns were raised by community members and Edenvale station commander Colonel Malesela Mapulane at the meeting, held on Wednesday, before the meeting was cut short.
During the meeting McKenzie said one of the main concerns of the ECPF was the vagrants in the town who were committing petty crimes.
She urged anyone who noticed a suspicious-looking vagrant to get a description of the person and to call the police.
Once she had raised the concerns of the ECPF she gave the EMPD’s report on behalf of Inspector Eddie Hart.
Some of EMPD’s Edenvale statistics for the month of May included the discontinuation of seven motor vehicles, one case of reckless and negligent driving and 20 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol.
In the station commander’s report, Mapulane said he was worried about Edenvale.
“When I first came here I said I was an officer here to serve and protect the community.”
But Mapulane said his officers have become de-motivated.
He said the de-motivation comes after community members went to the media to talk about police corruption at stop-and-searches instead of opening cases at the SAPS.
“The police officers read the newspaper and show me. They tell me this is the community – they don’t want us to do our jobs and stop [and search] them,” said Mapulane.
He said, although there are some corrupt members of the SAPS, he is fighting corruption.
Standing with his arms out on either side of him, Mapulane told the audience they must do as they wish but he will continue doing his job.
He told the community of a recent success against corruption in Edenvale where a member of the Edenvale SAPS was arrested for corruption.
The officer was arrested after a crime prevention operation.
Motorists had been arrested by officers for driving under the influence of alcohol but Mapulane saw one walk away from the Edenvale station.
When he questioned the individual the person said they had paid bail and received a receipt.
The receipt which the person received for bail was a fake.
After the person pointed out the officer who had taken the money, the officer was arrested.
“I need your support to fight corruption,” said Mapulane to the community members.
Before Mapulane could proceed with his report, questions were raised by the audience about poor service from the Edenvale SAPS.
A few community members complained to Mapulane that the service at the Edenvale Police Station was not satisfactory- specifically the service received from the officers at the front desk of the station.
Edenvale resident Ilaria di Siena, chairperson of the ward 18 executive committee, told Mapulane community members feel “bullied” by the officers at the front desk of the police station.
Di Siena said she will hold Mapulane accountable for the behaviour of the front desk officers.
Mapulane advised di Siena and anyone else who experiences poor service at the station to follow this procedure:
- Â To seek assistance from officers at the front desk.
- Â If no assistance is given by the officers community members must then contact the relief commander whose information should be displayed on an electronic information board near the front desk.
- Â If the community members have still not had success they are to escalate the matter to the station commander himself.
Mapulane said when he is on duty he will do everything in his power to help the community.
Shortly after the advice was given to the audience Mapulane cancelled the meeting and asked McKenzie to close it.
The cancellation of the meeting came after more statements were made about the audio recording allegedly involving McKenzie.
McKenzie apologised to the audience for the abrupt closure of the meeting.
The guest speaker Chief Superintendent Hennie Erasmus from the EMPD Integrity Department also received an apology from McKenzie.
Erasmus was invited to speak to the audience and answer any questions they had regarding the EMPD.
