Not in My Name calls for police to respond proportionally when facing armed criminals

JOHANNESBURG - Civil rights group Not in My Name is calling for police to respond with proportional force when facing armed criminals.

The organisation was reacting to comments made by National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, who said it cannot be business as usual when criminals declare war on the police.

Masemola's remarks came after two police officers were shot and killed during the escape of a robbery suspect in Gauteng last week.

The president of Not in My Name, Siyabulela Jentile, said police officers must be empowered to meet deadly threats with deadly force when necessary.

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He believes it is up to newly appointed Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia, to issue a clear directive on how officers should respond to violent crime.

Jentile added that the minister has yet to gain public trust.

“South Africa is facing an alarming escalation in brazen attacks on law enforcement officers, a crisis that has intensified since the appointment of acting minister Firoz Cachalia. His views on policing, public posture, and policy signals have created a dangerous perception that the state’s resolve to confront crime is weakening.”

Jentile also cited the recent murder of a police officer in Mpumalanga, saying it highlights the severity of the crime crisis facing the country.