OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Thursday 6.00PM.
RICHMOND police station in KwaZulu-Natal is to be closed immediately and all its staff relocated. A national intervention unit will be deployed to take over police services in the community, National police Commissioner George Fivaz has announced.
Fivaz said normal policing had become impossible in Richmond because of the level of violence, the nature of crimes committed and a loss of confidence in the local police. At least 53 people have been killed in ongoing violence in the Richmond area in recent months.
About 50 police will be affected by the closure of the station. They will be offered a number of options for new postings, and those finding none acceptable may negotiate retrenchment packages, Fivaz said.
The move is not intended as a punitive measure, he added. It is aimed at enhancing the credibility of the police and at restoring a professional service in the area. Allegations of police complicity have persisted, although no evidence to this effect has been found.
“We don’t know whether the accusations are gossip or truth, but we cannot deny that sections of the community have lost confidence in the police.”
The intervention unit to handle policing in Richmond for the time being would be under the command of Divisional Commissioner Andre Pruis. It would remain in the area until conditions were conducive to routine policing.