A Newcastle police officer finds himself under investigation after he was arrested on charges of drunken and negligent driving.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda explained that in what appears to be cellphone footage doing rounds on social media, a marked police van could be seen driving at high speed along the N3 Highway in Pietermaritzburg. The driver of the vehicle can also be seen disregarding the rules of the road and bumping other vehicles in the process.
“The officer in question, a 35-year-old Sergeant who is stationed at Newcastle K9, was arrested on 13 January 2023 on charges of drunken and negligent driving. Internal disciplinary actions have already been instituted against him and the process is ongoing,” told Colonel Netshiun
Following the local Sergeant’s arrest, the KZN Provincial Commissioner for the South African Police Service (SAPS) Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi applauded a community member who took the video of the police officer.
In addition, Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi strongly condemned the actions of the on duty Sergeant and called his behaviour barbaric, unprofessional and uncalled for.
He said that there is no space for police officers who disregard the law and become the law unto themselves.
“Police officers carry the hopes of the nation, and we cannot afford to have members within our ranks whose behaviour and actions seek to reverse all the gains that hard-working police officers have attained in restoring people’s trust in the police. His actions are totally against what we stand for as the police in this province and applicable disciplinary actions will be meted against him. His case study will serve as a deterrent to other police officers who might have been having delusional thoughts that police’s internal disciplinary actions have gone soft,” said the Lieutenant General.
Mkhwanazi also called upon community members to continue exposing and reporting the unprofessional behaviour of on-duty police officers.
Moreover, it is speculated that the police officer was on his way to fetch his dog from a veterinary clinic in Durban.
“No police officer must transport his children to and from school using a state vehicle, no police officer is allowed to do shopping with a state vehicle. Such rogue elements must be reported, and proportionate actions will be taken against those who trespass the prescripts of the service. Police officers must uphold professional standards at all times, and state resources, including vehicles and other tools of policing, must be used with responsibility and be properly managed without fail”, added Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
All unprofessional police behaviour, illegal actions and disservices can be reported via the crime stop number 08600 10111. Anonymous tip-offs can also be relayed via the MySAPS App.
With the Newcastle Sergeant now facing legal ramifications, what are your thoughts on the above-mentioned? Share your views in the comment section below.
