"POLICE BRUTALITY" - Action by police is relative to situations

The SAPS has read with absolute discomfort the suggestions made by key figures of institutions and organizations that police are generally "brutal" in their approach. While SAPS top management concedes to isolated cases where police have acted outside the boundaries of the law, in terms of which the police officials involved are being dealt with both criminally and departmentally, we feel such comments and suggestions do not help our cause to minimize criminal attacks on police.

It is a well known fact that the environment that police work in and the type of people police are confronted by are generally of a violent nature in itself. The actions of police are normally relative to the situations they are faced with, notwithstanding the fact that police management neither promotes nor condones police officers who may deliberately disregard the constitutional rights of our citizens.

The latter is verified by the number of our police officers arrested by our very own SAPS members for a variety of crimes. We also cooperate wholeheartedly with organisations like the Independent Complaints Directorate and the Secretariat in the Ministry of Police that are in place to objectively oversee the running of the police within the confines of the law.

What is most alarming is that this deliberate scathing attack on the SAPS comes at a time when there seems to be a deliberate killing and maiming of our police officers throughout the country. Surely such comments and remarks, when made publicly, could be interpreted by criminals as a show of support to them thus inciting them to continue with the killing of our officers!

In a statement by the National Commissioner, General Bheki Cele on 22 May 2011, reference was made to the lack of support by institutions and communities when police are killed or maimed. These comments made in the media not only shows the lack of support but it also clearly highlights the insensitivity shown to the mowing down of our police officers and such comments only serves to further intensify criminal attacks on our police men and women.

Statement issued by Colonel Vishnu Naidoo, SAPS national media centre, May 27 2011

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