Popcru: No clear plan to end police killings

According to the latest crime statistics, a total of 31 police officers were killed between April and June. 

Ten of the police officers were killed while on duty and twenty-one were killed while not on duty. 

This is 13 more when compared to the same period last year when 18 officers were killed. 

Twelve officers were killed in Gauteng, followed by six in KwaZulu-Natal and five in the Eastern Cape, while 488 suspects have been arrested since 2018 for the killing of police officers.  

Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said this is why the union wants police killings to be declared treason.

“We are quite worried about the escalating numbers of police killings. Despite the fact that there has been a higher rate between April and June, there has been many other cases reported, in fact the latest one was just yesterday (Saturday) in the Western Cape. So, the numbers are quite high and up to so far there has not been a clear plan.

“That is why we decided at our recent policing indaba that there should be legislative amendments in ensuring that police are more protected and that police killing becomes resinous. All of these measures will ensure that the number of police officers killed is limited.

“Ultimately, we have to establish good working relations with communities because in most instances police officers are killed for their firearms and the cases they are investigatingz

“Recently, there has been a trend that has been picked up in the Western Cape that sometimes it’s due to people wanting to rise within gangs and they would be required to kill an officer."

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