OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Wednesday 8.00PM.
SOUTH African Police Service CEO Meyer Kahn on Wednesday said police are winning the battle against crime “inch by inch”, but admitted police efficiency is seriously compromised by a daily 30% absenteeism rate.
Speaking at the launch of the Western Cape west metropolitan region’s service and delivery strategy to make best use of the police’s limited funding, he said police must find better ways to use available staff. Kahn estimated that if police absenteeism can be reduced from 30% to 10%, 6000 additional policemen will be on duty on every shift.
If administrative policemen are moved from their desks to the street, another 12000 will become available, and by bringing in more civilians to do the soft jobs, another 5000 to 6000 will be added to the numbers.
Meanwhile, it has been discovered that hundreds of prisoners wanted for crimes other than those for which they are already serving sentences are avoiding prosecution due to lack of communication between the police and prison authorities.
Many are being set free at the end of their jail terms without being investigated for further crimes. In other cases, police continue searching for criminals who are in fact already in jail.
Poice have admitted there is no way for them to cross-check — the two departments do not have access to one another’s computer records. However, police are developing an integrated network that will link police, prisons and the justice system.