Parliament concerned about rise in cop suicides

Parliament’s portfolio committee on police on Monday said it was concerned by the number of police suicides reported in the last few weeks.

Committee chairperson Francois Beukman said station commanders should be proactive if they noticed that officers were troubled and confiscate their service firearms.

"SAPS members who experience stress due to operational duties and personal challenges should utilise the wellness programmes that are offered by the SAPS. Family members are also urged to report abnormal behaviour to the supervisors of SAPS members‚” he said.

According to the committee‚ the latest incident happened in Ocean View near Cape Town where a police officer shot dead his wife and then turned the gun on himself while they were at a neighbour’s house. Beukman said work-related stress sometimes played a part in such tragedies.

The committee intended to raise the matter on Tuesday with police commissioner Khehla John Sitole.