SEP 13, 2010 | LUZUKO PONGOMA | 6 COMMENTS
EVERY 10 minutes a Gauteng citizen should see a police officer on the street. This is the plan of the new provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Mzwandile Petros.
I will run the police as a business and the output will be measured in the safety of the citizens
He told Sowetan in an interview that there were also plans to brand all police vehicles, complete with cellphone numbers, so that instead of calling 10111 you can call your local police as part of improving the response time on crime.
Petros took over on September 1 from retired general Perumal Naidoo, whose departure put the spotlight on his relationship with the underworld.
This after his farewell party was hosted by Allan Kukard, a brothel owner and an alleged underworld kingpin.
While Petros would not be drawn into commenting on allegations about Naidoo, he has already warned his officers about corruption in a series of imbizos over nine days.
"I made it clear to the officers that we need to improve our corporate image because we cannot succeed if the community mistrusts us. I will be dealing with allegations of corruption and arrested officers," he said.
While he was leading the Western Cape he arrested more police for corruption than any other province, He said he would do the same in Gauteng.
On reports of Gauteng being the home of the mafia, Petros said: "That is better dealt with than spoken about."
He said criminal hotpots would be targeted.
"The resources should follow the problem. We have also looked at putting Flying Squad and a Rapid Response together. A double effect will lead to double results.
"We need to ensure that police intelligence picks up people on pro-crimes instead of waiting for the crime," he said.
"Mark this day on the situation outside, we need to say there has been change.
"I will run the police as a business and the output will be measured in the safety of the citizens," he said earlier when he addressed politicians, senior police officers and the media on Friday.
He was speaking in the wake of Gauteng being named a crime haven in the latest crime statistics on Thursday.
The 50-year-old former maths and science teacher said: "People of Gauteng will come up with the solution on crime. I have spoken to the constables on whether the soles of their shoes and the cars they are driving are OK for the terrain they are patrolling."
He said he also spoke to communities and asked how they felt when they are safe.
Petros, who spent seven years at the helm in Western Cape, said: "The deterrent for crime is the visibility of police, finish and klaar.
"People should feel safe and be safe and it's the obligation of the police to be seen to be doing something," he said.
"There are 192,000 police officers in the country but only 12,000 social workers. Social issues are not part of policing.
"Other stakeholders should be involved.
"Putting criminals in jail is not the solution since most of them come out worse," he said.
Petros said that he would also engage with businesses since they are affected by robberies.
"The impact of crime decreasing will not be measured by crime statistics but by the numbers of those who come to invest and live in the province," he said.
Sowetan News
Comments by Sonny
Who will foot this bill?
Eldorado Park police protect criminals, people go around shooting resident indiscriminately but police remain ineffective as the gunman is a henchman of one of the drug dealers.
ReplyDeleteShould we revive old vigilante structures to protect us?