WATCH: ‘I see criminals on the balls’ - SAPS detective talks crime overload

This video is part of TimesLIVE's “On Shift” – a 10-part video series proudly brought to you by 1Life Insurance. Every Monday until the end of May, watch exclusive videos giving unusual insight into the lives and perspectives of people working in interesting professions in South Africa.  

A number of recent high-profile murder cases around South Africa have led to rolling media coverage, which often places the South African Police Service (SAPS) firmly in the spotlight.

This puts enormous pressure on the police force and its detectives, says Capt Tyron Alfred Amon, an SAPS unit commander in Bellville, Cape Town.

On a typical day, Amon can deal with 70 to 100 cases – a huge figure compared with his counterparts in other countries. When Scotland Yard officers visited South Africa, they were “shocked at the workload South African police have”, he says.

Amon, who has worked for 23 years in the SAPS, is dedicated to ensuring “thorough investigations and [getting] cases through the courts”. This, he admits, is a “struggle”.

His immense workload is not the only challenge. For someone in Amon’s position, keeping his team motivated under such pressure can be the most difficult task.

Exposed to violence and crime daily, Amon says he finds himself unable to “switch off” – though a game of pool, where he sees “criminals on the balls”, is a great way to relieve some of the stress.

Despite the rigours of his job, Amon remains hopeful. Criminals are apprehended “because of good detective work, [because] of good guys that are doing their job”, he says.

“You just need to do your job. That is it.”​

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