Investigations by SundayWorld and Kaya FM regarding the efficiency of the Randfontein Police Station’s services and allegations of resources being allocated along racial lines produced significant results.
The probe started in 2013.
According to officers who requested anonymity, certain practices at the station allegedly are race-based, with its acting station commander being aware of it.
The most shocking revelation is that black townships with an estimated population of 80 000 allegedly are being served by only one police van. It also has been revealed that white policemen allegedly serve white suburbs only and black policemen only are deployed in townships. This while Randfontein townships such as Toekomsrus and Mohlakeng have high volumes of violent crime, murder, robbery, hijacking and housebreaking.
Reaction time should be 20 minutes maximum according to policing sector policies, but officials allegedly take two to six hours to respond to crime victims. Officials on duty allegedly had been instructed to prioritise phone calls from 10111 and ignore sector phone calls or the calls directly from the charge office.
“Randfontein is divided in five sectors and vehicles are dispatched according to their availability. It is true that the reaction time should be as quick as possible and should not be more than an hour,” Gauteng Police spokesperson Lungelo Dlaminin told SundayWorld and Kaya FM.
He said, “Language barriers are one reason why certain officers gets dispatched to certain areas. There is a policy regarding the inspection of resources at stations. Vehicles should be inspected on a weekly basis and if there are any defects it should be sent for repairs.”
He said if any of these policies are ignored, it amounts to misconduct on the part of the station commander. He promised that these allegations will be investigated to establish whether there has been compliance or not.
The Randfontein police is yet to comment on the matter.
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