RE: INSIGHT @ IPT DECEMBER 1999 VOL 1 NO 4

Dear Sirs / Mesdames

RE: INSIGHT @ IPT DECEMBER 1999 VOL 1 NO 4

Thank you for an informative edition relating to the Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP).

It is gratifying to note that you display a depth of insight into the problems facing the SAPS in this province which is realistic and reveals many facts as they are. Many of these facts are of course disturbing and cause for major concern by police management in this Province. At the same time however management is faced with the realities of being powerless to address many of these problems due to constraints which result from factors beyond our control. Your efforts at identifying these factors and suggesting possible solutions are highly appreciated.

Whilst acknowledging that the criticism of criminal behaviour displayed by numerous members of the SAPS is more than justified it is of some concern to note the high levels revealed by the statistics reflected in your report. I am particularly appalled at the assertion that "in 1998 negligence and torture resulted in the death of more than 700 people in police custody (my emphasis) I do not know what the source of this information is but, in the light of the statistic available to me I must challenge the accuracy of this statement. According to the official statistics supplied to me by the ICD the position is as set out in the attached tables 1, 2 and 3 for the periods 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998, 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 and 1 April 1999 to end of February 2000 respectively.

I do not wish to create the impression that police management is unperturbed about the high number of fatalities reflected in the statistics. We are concerned, but it is important to us that the public are not given distorted reporting which impacts far more negatively on perceptions of police brutality etc. As you will note, deaths which can "possibly" be ascribed to negligence as contained in table 2 are 20 for deaths in police custody and 28 as a result of police action i.e.

a total of 48 over a period of one year. There are none reflected as arising from torture. I would appreciate it if you would rectify this error in a future edition.

Just as a matter of interest it would be appreciated if you could provide a little more information concerning the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland since you have chosen to cite them as a comparative example. For instance what is their population, their crime statistics for violent crimes, how many prisoners do they have in custody in their police cells on average per day who are charged with violent crimes? Do they have police holding cells for awaiting trial prisoners or are all their ATP's held in prisons? How many of their policemen have been killed in the line of duty in confrontation with armed gangsters? If you care to obtain these statistics and compare them with South African conditions you may just find out that you are comparing apples with "pineapples"!