Popcru worried by exodus in SAPS special units
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) is concerned by the rising number of highly-skilled and specialised members who are leaving the police for retirement or greener pastures in the private sector.
The trade union says there has been alarming exits from the Special Task Force and the National Intervention Unit divisions, which are critical in crime fighting.
President Thulani Ngwenya said the exodus poses risk to the country's safety and security.
“This represents a serious threat to our national security, as our most skilled officers are leaving faster than we can train replacements.
“Law enforcement is already understaffed and underequipped, and this exodus from specialised divisions means that we cannot properly deal with serious crimes that fall beyond the scope of classic policing.
“While private security firms are luring away our highly-trained personnel with lucrative offers, our country has been left vulnerable to security breaches,”
Earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa said additional 10,000 new officers would be recruited to bolster the police's crime fighting efforts.
“Even if the SAPS trains and hires the 10,000 new recruits pledged by government this year, this will have little immediate impact on higher-level crimes.
“Dealing with these crimes requires the abilities of far more experienced officers who take years to train and upskill to reach their positions," he added.
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