DA reiterates call to rotate police officers in Western Cape's gang-ridden areas

JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to rotate visible policing officers in gang-ridden areas, to prevent them from becoming too familiar with gang members.

This follows a spike in gang-related violence on the Cape Flats, where ten people were killed last weekend.

DA constituency head, Andrew Bateman, said residents were worried some officers may be colluding with gangsters.

"Residents of gang-afflicted communities regularly express the concern that some local police members are overly familiar and complicit with gang members in their communities. For example, such police members allegedly make a show of arresting gangsters, only to release them later beyond the sight of residents."

Bateman said fear of retaliation often stops residents from speaking out. 
 
"Residents dare not report these incidents formally because of the fear of gang reprisals. In the light of these serious concerns, and as a single element of a multi-pronged approach to addressing gang violence, the DA echoes the call of many residents that SAPS should rotate police members where there is an elevated risk of over-familiarity between police members and the communities which they serve."

He further reiterated the party's call for the devolution of policing powers to competent provincial and local authorities.

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