COPS WHO LOSE FIREARMS WILL BE FIRED

Minister also warns public to exercise caution with their firearms

PRETORIA - 06 December 2010. Police officers who continuously and recklessly lose their firearms will be fired from the South African Police Service (SAPS).  This is a stern warning from the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa; as part of the improvement measures around firearms control within the SAPS.

The Minister made his remark with reference a Parliamentary reply to the lost, stolen as well as recovered firearms.  According to the reply, SAPS lost 3 453 and recovered 1 210 while civilian firearms lost 8 498 and recovered 3 985 during the 2009/2010 period.  "Firearms form part of the resources that are given to police in order to enable them to fight crime effectively.  Part of the responsibility is to ensure that those who are allocated these resources handle them with caution and utmost responsibility," stated the Minister. 

As the ministry pointed out the past weeks, firearm control is one of the areas that are receiving a priority as part of service delivery mandate of the SAPS.  "We want to warn those police officers that if they lose their firearms as a result of negligence, we will render them incompetent.  Obviously once a cop is rendered incompetent to carry a firearm, he or she will be redundant in carrying out his or her duties and the obvious thing would be to relieve them of their duties," added the Minister Mthethwa.

The Minister is also concerned that almost only 50% of firearms in 2009/2010 that were lost by members of the public, have been recovered.  "We want to urge society to exercise necessary caution to ensure that their legally-acquired firearms do not end up in the hands of criminals.  Much as we shall be tough on our members, we shall also be hard on any member of the public who loses his or her firearm."

In ensuring greater accountability and responsibility over firearms in the hands of our police officers, the ministry has amongst others began rolling out an Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS), which has resulted in better controls.  The implications of the IBIS approach are that police officers need to account for each and every firearm allocated to them.  If it goes missing, whether through negligence or ulterior motives, then they must account.

Statement issued by Zweli Mnisi, Spokesperson to the Minister of Police, December 6 2010

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