A total of 137 policemen were killed in the line of duty in South Africa in 2002, the South African Police Service disclosed on Monday.
It said in a statement that the number of police fatalities compared “favourably with the figures for the years 2002 and 2001 (187 and 155 respectively)”.
It ascribed the reduction in the number of fatalities to the work done by the Police Safety Directorate since its establishment in 2002. “The Police Safety Directorate has issued guidelines about safety measures to be taken in an attempt to protect members against attacks,” it said.
Members attending a complaint or going into an operational area must be issued with bullet-proof vests. Also, they must “attend to a violent or crime-related incident in a sizeable number or with a back-up on standby”. They must also always be vigilant and guard against being attacked or killed, the statement said.
“It must be appreciated that as law-enforcers and crime combatants, the police are viewed by law-breakers or criminals as an impediment to criminality. The police must therefore be aware of any danger lurking in their environment.
“For their part the police will continue to maintain order and stability and prevent or investigate any criminal occurrence. With the help of the public, the police will bring about safety and security for all including the serving police personnel,’ the statement said. – I-Net Bridge