IPID must ensure police action in shoot-outs with criminals justified, says crime expert
There have been numerous shoot-outs involving police officers and heavily armed criminals in KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town, and the Eastern Cape in recent weeks.
Police fatally wounded three suspected extortionists and arrested 4 others during a shootout in Bothasig, Cape Town on 25 September 2024. Picture: SAPS Western Cape
CAPE TOWN - Crime experts have weighed in on the criticism of police being involved in shoot-outs with suspected criminals.
Some NGOs have accused the police of using deadly force when apprehending suspected criminals across the country.
There have been numerous shoot-outs involving police officers and heavily armed criminals in KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town, and the Eastern Cape in recent weeks.
Crime expert, Johan Burger, said that he feels sympathetic to police officers who come under gunfire when they move in to arrest suspected armed criminals.
He said that it appeared that the police were in a full-scale war with brazen criminals who were ready to fight with the police.
"But I want to emphasise that it doesn't justify unlawful action by the police, and this is a huge responsibility that IPID has to ensure that each and every one of these cases are properly investigated to ensure that every incident the police were justified and where they are not justified, then the law should take its course."
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime senior analyst, Jenni Irish-Qobosheane also shared her views on the matter.
"I do think that shoot-outs between the police and criminals, while one understands how and why that can happen given how armed some criminals are, I think we also need to be very careful how we deal with that going forward in terms of this becoming a norm."