Pretoria - Johannesburg Metro Police Department officers will soon be required to wear body cameras in a bid to combat rife corrupt practices such as the “cool drink” phenomena and protect officers.
On Tuesday, the department briefed the Provincial Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Security and admitted to having concerns over corrupt activities within its ranks.
The briefing comes after numerous officers had to be dismissed after they were found guilty of corruption.
Speaking to eNCA, JMPD Acting Chief Angie Mokasi said they have been dealing with various complaints brought by the public regarding corrupt practices by officers.
“We deal with issues of extortion, kidnapping, bribery and corruption,” she said.
To address the issues, Mokasi said they have invested a lot of resources that will help in fighting the criminal elements.
“The City is currently taking a process of purchasing body cameras that will assist in eradicating issues that revolve around corruption....They will also actually help to protect the officers and members of the public.”
Regarding the vetting of officers before employment, Mokasi said the process was long and by the time they get criminal information, the individual has already been employed.
She said people lie on their applications.
“However, that doesn’t prohibit us from dismissing an employee when we find out they have a criminal record,” she said.
She said they have dismissed former officers who had been charged with murder, rape and corruption.
Mokasi added that they have also started a process where they were vetting officers who have been working for the City over the years.
If found with a criminal record, the employee with go through a disciplinary hearing and explain the history of the charge.
“If they are found guilty, they will be dismissed from employment,’’ she told the broadcaster.
In May, IOL reported that the 2021 survey by pollster Afrobarometer found that South Africans' trust in the police was at ‘’historically low levels’’ with three in four respondents saying they had no confidence in law enforcement, up from one in two in 2011.
Many said they had to pay a bribe to receive assistance from the police or to avoid a problem with them.
South Africa ranked 72nd out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2022 global corruption perception index, flanked by Senegal and Burkina Faso. Denmark came out tops, and Somalia last.
Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili told AFP that all graft allegations are promptly investigated.
‘’Even if there's one or two rotten members in our ranks, the majority of officers are hard working,’’ she said.
IOL