In police we don’t trust
JOBURG - RESEARCH house, Futurefact has released a survey that is somewhat eye-opening about how South Africans view the police.
The research indicated that 35 percent of South Africans were scared of police, 29 percent were not willing to go to a police station on their own, 63 percent were too scared to report a crime, and a shocking 66 percent believed that a large majority of police were involved in criminal activity.
A founding member of Futurefact, Penny Hoets said, “The fundamental issue is that South Africans do not trust the South African Police Service and the results are somewhat appalling.” Hoets is an independent researcher, consultant and writer specialising in the socio-political and economic environment. “You do not see these statistics in other countries around the world and something needs to be done in order to improve the situation,” she said.
Members of the public who are uncomfortable approaching the police are able to contact CrimeLine which ensures anonymity when reporting a crime. Numerous companies and non-governmental organisations support it, and it is fully endorsed by the police. The public can send anonymous tip-offs of any crime-related matters to 32211.
How do you feel about these statistics? Do you feel safe reporting crime to the police? Tell us by commenting on our Facebook page.
