DA calls on SAPS to address shortage of dogs in its K9 unit
During an oversight visit at the Cape Town K9 unit, DA party members said they found that many trained handlers were without a canine partner.
A file image of an SAPS K9 unit. Picture: @SAPoliceService/X
CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) has once again called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to address the shortage of dogs in its K9 unit.
During an oversight visit at the Cape Town K9 unit, DA party members said they found that many trained handlers were without a canine partner.
It said this had stunted the police's drug-busting capabilities.
DA spokesperson for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Thomas Walters, said the situation was deeply concerning.
"The lack of support for K9 units is part of an overall pattern of specialised police units declining and not being invested in. They are of critical importance for the fight against crime. We need to fight this trend, and we call on SAPS to urgently attend to this matter."
Walters said that the shortage has had an impact on drug-related crime in the province.