Crime is at an all-time high heading into the festive season. Police are working around the clock to try and rid the town of all the criminals on its streets. The main component of their arsenal is the vehicles they need to track down criminals, be on the streets as a visible deterrent for potential criminals and to get to scenes as quickly as possible.
“I have heard so many stories of people in distress phoning the police, only to hear that they couldn’t attend to a matter right away because there aren’t any police vehicles available. That’s why I was so upset when I spotted a police bakkie picking up and dropping off people as if it was a taxi,” Johan Hattingh told the herald.
According to Hattingh, a clearly marked vehicle from the Westonaria Police Station was being used as a taxi last Friday 12 November. The driver of the police vehicle was in civilian clothes and so were all the people he picked up at the Pick n Pay Centre parking lot.
“The van stopped in the middle of the road in the parking area and people started piling into the back. I pulled up next to him and through my open window I asked him if he was using the official vehicle as a taxi. His answer was a very smug ‘no’. I told him that I was going to the station to report the matter,” Hattingh said.
The vehicle then drove behind Hattingh and when the driver saw him pulling into the police station premises, he dropped off all his passengers and drove away. Once at the station, Hattingh asked to speak to the station commander.
“The officer at the front desk asked why and after I explained my complaint to him he went to a man behind a glass panel and they spoke for a while. The second man asked me again what my complaint was and I told him that I had explained it to the first man and that I wished to lay an official complaint. The officer told me they did not have time for this type of nonsense and I was dismissed without being able to fill in a form or anything,” Hattingh explained.
Whatever the alleged ‘taxi driver’s’ motive was, his behaviour contravenes the South African Police Services’ (SAPS) national transport policy, which states that vehicles must be used to transport police members home only in exceptional circumstances, such as during elections or in times of strife when police are required to operate far from their usual place of work.
The policy states further that no vehicle may be used to transport police members or staff to and from home during their normal working hours unless permission has been granted. Transporting people who do not work for the police is not permitted in any circumstances.
The herald brought the matter to the attention of the Westonaria Police on Monday (17 November). They acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and voiced their concern over the matter.
Station Commander Colonel AM Nkhwafhu assured the herald that he was investigating what had happened on the Friday.
