SAPS unveil comprehensive safety strategy to protect officers

South African Police Service (SAPS) National Commissioner General Khehla Sitole has revealed a Police Safety Strategy aimed at decreasing the daily risks faced by officers in the line of duty.

September declared Police Safety Month

The month of September has officially been declared Police Safety Month in South Africa and the SAPS has established a plan to enhance and ensure the personal safety of officers both on and off duty.

“A comprehensive Police Safety Strategy was developed and is continuously being implemented. It is intended to ensure the safety of all members,” revealed General Sitole at the annual South African Police Service (SAPS) Commemoration Day.

“A National Police Safety Plan was also developed to strengthen the implementation of the Police Safety Strategy in an effort to eradicate or reduce attacks on and unnatural deaths of our members.

General Sitole also supported deputy president David Mabuza’s call for increased co-operation between communities and the SAPS.

“We hereby call on our communities to support the Community Policing Strategy that was launched last year to ensure that we work together to reduce crime in SA and do away with the killing of our members.”

SAPS Commemoration Day

The SAPS Commemoration Day is hosted by the Department of Police and held every year on the first Sunday of September to honor the men and women in blue who lost their lives in the line of duty.

In 2019, homage was paid the 27 officers who lost their lives between April 2018 and March 2019.

As part of the commemoration, the deputy president – along with Minister of Police General Bheki Cele, National Commissioner of the South African Police Service General Khehla Sitole, and the next of kin of the fallen police officers – laid wreaths in honour of the deceased.

Mabuza called on South African citizens to play a more active role in assisting police officers perform their duties to ensure a safe and crime-free South Africa.

Cooperation between communities and police is vital to fighting crime

During his address, Mabuza claimed the only solution for South Africa to start getting ahead of crime was for citizens to aid the police in any way possible.

“Police officers are rare and steadfast compatriots who place their lives – on a daily basis – on the line for the cause of keeping us all safe and protected,” he said.

“Partnership between the police and the public should be widely supported and strengthened by all citizens and communities. It is in active police-public partnership that we shall restore stability and order. It is in active police-public partnership that we will prevent the murders of our police officers.

The deputy president stressed that law enforcement cannot be seen as the responsibility only of the police in South Africa.

“We emphasize this because the maintenance of law and order is not only the function of the SAPS whose members are killed effecting arrests, responding to false-complaints, at stop-and-search operations, in vehicle accidents,” he continued.

“The police service needs and requires visible and tangible cooperation from community members. Our police cannot discharge their function alone, we need your cooperation and assistance to deal decisively with crime.”