DA Gauteng spokesman on community safety Michele Clarke MPL has said that Project 1448, an initiative by the Department of Community Safety in Gauteng, to root out police members with criminal records, was shut down as it was deemed unlawful.
“This was revealed by Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, during a sitting of the Gauteng Legislature,” Clarke said.
“Currently there are 271 SAPS members in Gauteng who continue to perform active duty despite having been convicted of committing criminal offences.
“Of these, 248 have been convicted of committing serious crimes.”
She added that this situation cannot be dealt with effectively if initiatives that are instituted to tackle such matters are flawed from the outset.
“The MEC indicated that there are currently cases in court, and that the situation is beyond her control.
“However, what is in her control is to call for closer scrutiny and background checks of SAPS recruits to ensure that the dedicated men and women in blue are not tarnished by nefarious characters.
“The DA will continue to monitor these cases and ensure that those police officials who have convictions are removed from the system,” she said.
