CRIME INFORMATION
ASSISTS IN PROPER PLANNING - MANANA
MEDIA RELEASE
28 September 2009
Mpumalanga Community Safety,
Security and Liaison MEC, Ms
Sibongile Manana urged police in
Mpumalanga to refrain from tampering
with crime information, including
statistics at their stations so that
their performance could look good
when they are reviewed.
Manana was responding to allegations
that some police officers do not
give case numbers and other relevant
information to complainants.
She also urged the community to
ensure that when they open cases
they do not leave the station
without getting case numbers. She
said it was their constitutional
right to be given sufficient
information by the police regarding
their cases.
Manana has appealed to police
stations to ensure that they report
crime incidences accurately because
falsifying or interfering with crime
information could make government
not to plan accordingly and allocate
resources appropriately.
“The police must record crime
incidents correctly, because without
correct information about the extent
of the problem of crime, Government
cannot plan appropriately,” said
Manana.
She was speaking during a Safety and
Security Imbizo held at Ogies in
Emalahleni on Sunday, 27 September
2009.
She appealed to the police to ensure
that when they recruit reservists,
they also include both farmers and
their workers. She said farm workers
must participate like all other
citizens of the country as they are
also affected by crime.
MEC Manana urged the management of
police stations to strengthen sector
policing so that the farming
communities are able to participate
in their programmes.
Community members of Phola Township
in Ogies told the MEC that they
wanted their own police station
because the Ogies Police Station is
far from them and when they needed
assistance, the police were unable
to respond immediately.
They also complained that police
constantly loose dockets and they
are not providing feedback to the
complainants on progress of their
cases.
Farm dwellers have also complained
that police look down upon them and
are treating them like second class
citizens.
It was also alleged that police in
the area are not responding
timeously to crime scenes, when
called they complain that they do
not have transport.
Responding to the allegations from
community members, police provincial
crime investigations Head, Director
Tony Gama said that police officers
should work and stop colluding with
criminals, and those who do not want
to work should leave the service.
Gama called on the community to
report any wrong doing on the part
of the police so that the office of
the provincial commissioner could
take appropriate steps against
officials not doing their work.
Issued by Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison
Enquiries: Joseph Mabuza
013 766 4055/ 082 678 1450
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