Crime analyst Willem Els said South African criminals have lost fear and respect for police, as shootouts between criminals and police members are on the rise across the country.
Earlier this week, a shootout ensued between the South African Police Services (SAPS) and a group of seven men allegedly involved in extortion at a shop owner in Bothasig.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Friday Els said criminals have become brazen and no longer trust that police members are able to bring perpetrators of crime to book.
“There are many reasons why criminals do not fear SAPS. Criminals know that they will not face the consequences of their actions due to a lack of resources, manpower and competency of police officers,” he added.
Els further said breaking this cycle will take a bit of time.
“A recent study indicated that restoring trust in SAPS means that corruption must end. It also indicated that the turnaround time for SAPS to respond to callouts should be prioritised and done almost immediately so that residents can feel confident that after lodging a complaint, SAPS will respond swiftly and not hours later,” he stressed.
Listen to the full interview below:
