The "Protectors" of South Africa: Dishonest Police

As one who has always been interested in criminal psychology and the police, the recent problems in the South African Police Department have been a personal disappointment. Stories of corruption, police brutality and even criminals emerging as police officers have rocked the country. Every other day they appear in newspapers or in the news, always hastily followed by a statement from some high-ranking official or a politician.

Failure to respond to calls of distress or allowing illegal immigrants to cross borders is nothing new. But now there have been different crimes. Last year the female applicants at the Tshwane Police Training College were forced to shave off their hair. One of the girls ended up in hospital with sunstroke and third degree burns.

And in the last week I've been told that the Tshwane Police department lost case files, many connected to ongoing cases, and many needed in court. They have not been able to recover them since. This type of neglect from the people who are supposed to protect our country is shocking.

But I suppose if we bribed them things would go better.

Despite the Lead SA campaign, which attempts to better safety and awareness in South Africa, cops are still asking and accepting bribes around every corner. There are honest cops who turn down such offers, and try to do honest work. They are, in return, shunned and ridiculed by their colleagues.

The only thing we could do to solve this, is to pay better wages to the police officers. Unfortunately the government is corrupt too and the money would never reach them.

South Africa needs help.