Cops say drink abets Cape crime

30 May 2014 - 02:30 By Philani Nombembe
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Norman Arendse,
Norman Arendse,
Image: Gallo Images

The police say there are many obstacles to effective policing in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, and have called for a community safety summit to discuss crime in the sprawling township.

The police made the admission yesterday during closing arguments before the independent commission of inquiry established by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille.

Norman Arendse SC, representing the police, said lack of resources, inadequate lighting and limited access to informal settlements were among the problems officers faced.

He attributed the high rate of crime in the township to excessive alcohol consumption by many residents.

The NGO The Social Justice Coalition told the commission that each detective at the Khayelitsha police station had been assigned 145 to 160 dockets on average.

It said that the averages at the Harare and Lingelethu-West police stations were 133 and 131 respectively. Records of the Harare police station showed 1472 cases reported in the first quarter of 2010, and 1279 in the corresponding period in 2011. But only five convictions were secured in 2010 and six in 2011.

The commission, headed by retired Constitutional Court judge Catherine O'Regan and former head of the National Prosecuting Authority Vusi Pikoli, ended its work yesterday. It has examined thousands of documents, including 500 police dockets and 50 expert reports. It will submit its report and recommendations to Zille by July 11.

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